Don't Keep Secrets In The Dark
by Bryni-Rose
Summary: Something strange is happening. No-one is answering my questions. I don't know anything anymore. Am I safe? I mean I always have been. With dad in charge nothing could go wrong. Right? -Hope you like it! R&R :D changed the rating.X
1. Selective Hearing

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Selective Hearing

As I woke up I was greeted by the comforting yet commanding voice of my mother.

'Just 5 more minutes,' I thought to myself as I lazily drifted back and forth between my dream and my reality. The sunlight was shimmering on my back and I could tell by the frequent movement of my extended family outside that it was a nice day. I stretched to try and wake myself up. I'm one to know that an angry Demeter in the morning is not a force to be reckoned with.

"Jemima you have just three more minutes and then I'm coming in there!" My mother called. Her voice was growing and was increasing in her deadly tone every time she realized that I was ignoring her. Sighing, I rolled over and groaned as I tried as hard as I could to stand up on all fours. I am surely not a morning cat. A knock on the wall told me it was my dad standing next to it. Mother would have just come straight in.

"Jemima, don't forget to go and see your Aunt Bombalurina today. Try as hard as she might to believe she's well, she's still sick." How could I not forget with my mother in charge?

"Sure thing dad. You know what might cure it though? A visit from Uncle Tugger." I could see the corners of dad's mouth twitching as he told me to mind my own business and to stop 'accidently overhearing' the adults talking about Uncle Tugger and Aunt Bomba. As if none of the kittens knew. Besides, we couldn't help it if all of us somehow inherited the same selective hearing.

As I stalked into the box next door and ate my breakfast I successfully used my selective hearing to take in the things I wanted to hear my mother say. Bin the important stuff.

"Jemima this, remember that, don't forget to brush Jemima because if you do the whole universe will have an utter meltdown!" Meh. I didn't need it.

"So mother, today Victoria and I were going to go down to the park to play. That's okay, right?" My head instantly filled with past memories of our trips to the park and my dream of our mini-adventure we would have today.

I immediately became very nervous when my mother stiffened and let a hiss escape her. Despite being a little bossy my mother was pretty lenient. I was her little girl. I hadn't seen her act like this in ages. In fact, I think the only time I've seen her act like this once before was when I was four and it was way past my bedtime. Mother and dad were talking about some Macavity. I got so scared by her reaction that for months I would dream up all sorts of monsters in my sleep that all seemed to fit the name Macavity.

"No Jemima. You and Victoria are to stay inside the junkyard at all times today. Where an elder can see you." Her voice was strained and I could see her bright, golden eyes skip around the room. Begging for anything to stare at except her own. I was confused.

"But moth-"

"No Jemima. I said NO."

"But Victo-"

"Jellylorum would agree with me in saying this Jemima. Stay inside the junkyard."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My eyes followed her slow deliberate movements around the room as she tried to find something that kept her occupied and stopped her from looking at me.

"Well can I go and see her in the junkyard?" My mouth was very dry and I was so on edge from her last performance about what she would say now. I think she knew she had let her control guard slip because the answer was almost immediately positive. I sprinted out. I needed to get away from the tension in the room.

"Jemima!" Her resumed bossy voice took control of the situation again.

"Don't forget to brush!" Trying not to grin I felt so relieved to hear her speaking like this again. It was my mother, the one I was used too. I sprinted as hard and as fast as I could down to Victoria's. When I got there I was so tired that I couldn't even tell Jellylorum that I was here for Victoria. I think she guessed it though. Who else would I be here for?

While waiting I had the pleasure of meeting a cool glass of water which I gulped down right away. As Victoria came in her bright, blue, glassy eyes fixated on mine and we both grinned a grin everyone else loathed. We were unstoppable.

"Victoria, you hear me? Inside the junkyard." Except for when our mothers told us what to do. Jellylorum was reading the same inside scoop mother was.

"But mum, me and Jem-"

"'Jemima and I' dear"

"Yea but mum we've been outside the junkyard loads of times before! C'mon! Please, please, please??" Victoria had now resorted to her beautiful kitty face. When she wanted too, this was a serious arsenal in her weapons bag.

"No Victoria. Demeter has told the same thing to Jemima…I presume?" She startled me by giving me a look I couldn't lie too. I sadly backed down from my defense post and nodded.

"You see? Now please listen to me." At least Jellylorum said please. She was way nicer than mother. "TUMBLEBRUTUS!!!" Well, sometimes. Jellylorum's voice shook the house and we stared at the surprised Tumblebrutus who had tried his luck sneaking out. He beamed at his mum.

"Read and copy your message loud and clear mum, over and out." He snuck a quick wink at me and sided out. He was lucky. He could get away with anything. As Victoria and I followed Tumblebrutus' lead Jellylorum resumed her relaxed position.

"Be careful" she told us quietly. I'm not sure if we were supposed to hear her say this. I don't even know if Victoria actually did. The selective hearing in my brain had opened up to a whole new range. Taking in things that sounded like warnings and pleads. I didn't like it. Not at all.


	2. My Voices

My Voices

"CATCH ETCETERA!!" A blur of curled rags drenched in mud came catapulting out of Pouncival's tire fort. A surprised Etcetera stood in the middle of no-man's-land, dripping from head to toe. All of us stood laughing at her. Electra even managed to crack a grin. No matter how hard she tried, Etcetera never could understand the concept of this game. It was called 'war'. That should've at least given her a hint. Sadly I was too busy laughing at poor Etcetera to see Tumblebrutus and Misto sneaking up on me.

"Turn around," I heard being sung in my ear. I wasn't thinking. Turning around I was pelted with mud balls and ice cold water. This time it was Etcetera's turn to laugh as she darted behind a box to protect herself. And so it went on. Victoria and I battling it out with Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Misto and Etcetera (if you called her style of play a battle) and with Electra watching from the sidelines.

"TIME, TIME, TIME-OUT!!!" Victoria finally yelled and we all congregated in the centre of the battle floor. We had managed to sneak down to the lower part of the junkyard to play. It wasn't outside the junkyard but, it wasn't exactly where anyone could see us either…

"Dude that was sweet! Toms win AGAIN!" Pouncival was all high and mighty. Like we cared. Maybe. "Well if you told me how to play you would go down in a rabbit hole, Pouncival." Etcetera started to argue with him. They could never agree on anything.

"Guys keep your voices down." I was really scared we were going to get caught down here. We'd never been here before. My dad had always told me it was dangerous because loads of nomad, clinically insane cats could get in here. Sadly the high and mighty toms decided we wouldn't get hurt. Of course, Etcetera didn't care were we went. And Victoria would follow Misto anywhere.

"Stop being such a sour puss Jemima" I heard Tumblebrutus say.

"WE CAN BE AS LOUD AS WE WANT." He started raising his voice and my heart beat quickened.

"Shut-up!" I punched him lightly in the back and noticed my little fist shaking. Whoa Jemima. Where did that anger come from? I'm not so terrified of getting caught I'd let my temper go would I? Everyone stopped and stared at me. By that time I was aware of a sudden strange whispering sound. I started getting nervous.

"Can you hear that?" I asked. None of them could. Not a single one.

"Jemima, are you okay?" Tumblebrutus sounded worried. I started to shiver. Even though it was hot and there was no wind. I was really scared. I could tell everyone else was too. I never acted like this. Ever. "Jemima what's wrong?" Victoria edged closer to me. Slowly. I didn't get it. Was she scared of me? With the slow breaths I took the whispering slowed and finally stopped. "...DOING?" The strong voice was very loud and it made us all jump. As I turned around we met face-to-face with my dad. He was mad. I could tell. I knew we were in for it. "Uh…Mr. Munkustrap, uh, SIR, uhm, well-er how's your day been?" An angry look silenced Pouncival behind me. I desperately wanted to tell the others not to talk. An angry, morning Demeter is nothing compared to a fuming, protective Munkustrap. And he was fuming. I was pretty sure because there was a little wisp of smoke coming from the top of his head.

"I suggest that every single one of you make your way back to the main junkyard." He was beyond mad. His voice was so angelic and forgiving I knew each of us would get an earful when we got there.

"NOW." We scattered. Fast. I could feel dad's eyes penetrating my back as I sprinted as fast as I could back to the main junkyard. I would have to go home and face a disappointed mother. That made me groan. As I reached the main junkyard I discovered I was in both a good and bad position. The good? I wouldn't have to go home and tell mother. The bad? Every single family member met us at the centre of the junkyard. None of them were happy, although the younger adults didn't seem too thrilled to be there.

As soon as I met my mother's gaze I wished I hadn't. She looked like she was going to cry. I never disobeyed her. Ever. My heart dropped and I could tell this beautiful sunny day had just taken a turn for the worst. As we all sat listening to my dad lecture us about the dangers of the bottom junkyard I tried to use my selective hearing to listen to anyone but him. Like anyone was brave enough to talk right now.

The sun had almost completely disappeared by the time my dad had finished. To top it off Old Deuteronomy had made us promise to be in sight of two adults at all times. All these rules! We got no reasons as to why they were there. It was so frustrating!

I sat staring at the full moon. It wasn't until much later that I realized I was surrounded by that strange whispering noise again. By each moment it was getting louder. It made my head hurt and I wanted to scream. I knew my dad was watching me to make sure I was safe. I tried to yell but I was frozen solid. Maybe if I shortened my breaths he might realize that something was wrong. But how could I? I wasn't breathing anymore. The moon was shining so bright now I could hardly see.

My eyes rolled around my head. What were these voices saying? What did they want? How could I understand what they were saying? I felt so dizzy and I couldn't feel anything. I wished with every part of me that someone would save me. I was really, very faint now. A yell from a voice I didn't recognize made me stay awake. I was rocking back and forth until I couldn't keep my balance anymore and I fell flat on my back.

Around me I could hear a lot of movement. I couldn't make out what anyone was saying. They were all over-powered by my strange whispers. I wanted this to be over. It was hurting my head. Someone shook me hard and arguments erupted around me. Was someone crying? I could hardly tell.

I started to fall in and out of consciousness. That made me dizzy again. I lost track of everything. I could do that. Except for losing track of myself. I needed to keep myself. If I didn't I knew I would lose. And that, isn't fighting.


	3. Macavity

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Macavity

As I opened my eyes the lights on the ceiling danced above my head. I groaned. What had happened? My head was very sore.

"Jemima?" I turned my head to see my mother half walking half sprinting towards me. She was all fuzzy so I blinked a couple of times.

"Jemima, how do you feel? Does your head hurt?" her voice was very soft and I instantly relaxed. I frowned.

"Mother. What happened? All I remember is a bright, huge moon and the," I stopped. What should I say? I couldn't tell her about the voices I heard. She would think I was crazy.

"Darling, you hit your head pretty hard. Asparagus said that you were in shock, but of what Jemima?" I frowned again. Mother obviously couldn't hear the voices. I hardly listened to her comforting murmurs. I needed her to leave. So I could write what I heard on paper. Finally I had the opportunity to get mother to leave.

"Mother?" I croaked to make it sound more effective. "Yes darling what is it?"

"Can you get me a drink please? I'm soooo thirsty." I think I over-exaggerated on the so but she didn't notice as she scurried off to get me a drink. On my right was a pen and paper. In my head had been two voices. I wrote them down as I started hearing them again.

VOICE 1: are you sure this will work? They're pretty strong…

VOICE 2: Do you doubt me Rusty? Me?

VOICE 1: No, no, no. Of course not. You know how much your leadership means to me.

VOICE 2: Are you sure? I can make you very sure.

VOICE 1: No, no. I'm very sure.

VOICE 2: Now go and see the psychic twins. I want developments.

VOICE 1: Yes sir. Right away…

I was very confused by this. What did it mean? As fast as I could I crushed it underneath my body as my mother came back with a drink. As I drank I started to feel drowsy again. Ugh. My head was hurting. I started to feel dizzy so I lay down. My mother started stroking my fur which immediately comforted me and made me feel safe. So off I went to dream.

"What do you want here Macavity?" Old Deuteronomy's voice rang out and it was impossible to ignore.

"Your presence is irregular and unwanted by most." Old Deuteronomy seemed to be staring at a tom whose colours seemed to melt within the next. Was this tom smiling?

"Oh father, how could you say such a thing?" His voice, this 'Macavity', sounded very rough. It reminded me of Mungojerrie's mischievous laugh.

"I am only here," he carried on, "to warn you of such danger that lurks your way." Macavity sounded serious.

"I know not of such things that you talk about Macavity." We Jellicles have always been safe. For as long as I have lived." Old Deuteronomy seemed to think of what he said as a joke. Like the Jellicles had NEVER been in peril. All the Jellicles present at this meeting disagreed with loud murmurs.

"Never fear father," Macavity sailed on, "you don't have to believe me. I may have heard wrong." For some reason that made me what to scream at this tom.

WHAT? NO! YOU DIDN'T HEAR WRONG. TELL THEM! My head seemed to explode with thoughts that weren't even mine. Snap out of it Jemima. What are you thinking? You don't even know this tom.

"My son, you are family, "Old Deuteronomy's voice replied, "You may stay if you do not cause trouble." Old Deuteronomy seemed to think this was reasonable. Not many others did though. As their faces were strangely blurry and out of focus I couldn't see their reactions.

Eventually the end frozen image went completely black. Again.

I flung upright in my bed. My eyes flickered everywhere. I took a deep breath in. WOW. That was a really strange dream. Something about the dream didn't feel right though. I couldn't think of what it was.

"Jemima." My head instantly swung to the door where Victoria stood. Her little pixie voice sounded a little worried.

"Hi Victoria." My voice sounded normal. If I normally whispered.

"Uh-oh" Victoria started to grin as she skipped across the room. "It sounds like you've lost your voice." I groaned (although it sounded more like a squeak).

"How're you feeling? Boy did you give us a fright!" I frowned. Again.

"What exactly happened?" I had to whisper otherwise it would hurt. Her face fell a bit.

"Well, all I saw was you staring up at our Jellicle moon and then you started rocking back and forth. As soon as you fell on your head you started to moan and like EVERYONE ran to you. It was really scary. The whole family was like, gathered around trying to help, oh and there was this like total stranger. He got to you first. I think he was trying to help but as soon as he started shaking you all the toms got mad. I can't-"

"VICTORIA!"

Victoria and I jumped and turned to stare at my mother. "I told you not to tell until I think she's well. She could still crash."

"But she asked…"

"It doesn't matter."

I looked at my mother. Why didn't she want me to hear what had happened to me? "But mother I AM well" I started to whisper with my broken voice. She smiled a bit.

"A couple more days and you will be fine." She seemed determined to make me let this go. "I'm fine with Victoria visiting you. But what happened is for dad and I to talk about." She gave us each a look that seemed to say: obey-me-or-else before she strode away.

So Victoria stayed and we talked and talked until my dad came in to say it was time to leave. I didn't really mind. I was starting to get tired.

After three days of almost straight sleeping I woke up. It was the middle of the night because outside was just an inky blackness. There was the scurry of mice outside making their escape before dawn broke and I could hear my parents asleep in the next room. I remembered the paper that I had crushed under me four days ago. I got it out and stared at it. Then I shook my head.

'Jemima you're insane' I told myself. This is loony talk. I threw it in the bin. I then thought about my dream and decided I was really was going crazy. Dreams didn't mean anything. I sighed and relaxed as I lay down.

As the sun decided to wake I heard my parents up. I got out of bed. I was sick of sleeping. As I walked out of my room I could hear my dad talking to someone. But it wasn't my mother. Walking into the room I met face-to-face with the guy who had been in my weird dream. Although his colours were now very distinct. He smiled and my dad looked at me. What was this guy's name? I couldn't remember.

"Jemima, this is your Uncle Macavity." I stared at him even though I knew it was rude. Macavity. That was it.


	4. My Dream Came True

**Sorry to all those who've been reading this story and have put me on alerts. This sort of mini chapter has helped overcome this MAJOR writer's block I've been having. Hopefully it's gone and I'll be on track again! Thanks to all those who've been reading. It means so much!!!—BR **

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

MY DREAM CAME TRUE

'Break the silence, Jemima, break the silence,' I thought to myself. I was quite stunned. I didn't know what to say.

"Uhm... Hi?" Tsk Jemima that was pathetic. TRY to make a conversation!

"Uhm so I'm Jemima. If you didn't know..." My uncle Macavity slowly nodded his head. Poor dad looked quite unhappy. The situation was getting even more awkward by the minute.

"Yea... I'm just gonna go..." I trailed off and pointed to the door. Bopping my head up and down I followed my fingers outside. I didn't stop walking until I had counted to 100. And 10.

Rounding a corner I met up with my gang of trouble.

"Hey Jemima!" Smiling, I skipped up to them.

"Whoa back up guys," Pouncival said seriously. He and Tumble slowly started backing away. She's mighty contagious. Rolling my eyes I ignored them and gave Victoria a hug.

"Do you guys know if we're allowed out of the junkyard yet?" I hadn't heard anything but I was hoping.

"Nah," replied Misto. Hope wasted. "Apparently there's a big meeting up at the TSE1 Ford today though. 3 o'clock on the dot."

Argh! Jellicle meetings were intensely boring. We never had to go to them when we were little, but now that were teens we have a 'responsibility' to go. Blegh. Sighing Victoria picked up the conversation.

"Okay guys let's just forget about that for a while." I smiled. Victoria always knew how to fix a dull day.

So until 3 o'clock 'Scaredy Cat' was our best friend. Never heard of it? Be ashamed! It's 'truth or dare', well more like 'dare or dare'. By five to three Victoria and I were tying first place for being the ultimate scaredy cat. (A title you don't want to have). Tumble and Pouncival were last, of course. They would do anything you dared them to do. And I mean ANYTHING!

By the time we got to the TSE1 Ford most of the Jellicle tribe was there. We tried to sit up the back so we could be the first to escape. Old Deuteronomy opened up the meeting, like always. Dad had his spiel and then Alonzo did too.

I was drifting off to sleep when Old Deuteronomy started to speak again.

"What do you want here Macavity?" his voice was so loud it gave me a fright and I instantly felt the adrenalin racing through me.

"Your presence is irregular and unwanted by most." Okay let's now double, no, triple the amount of adrenalin I now felt. I had dreamt this. The meeting. Every little detail before it had happened. Yes. I could now indeed see that Macavity was in fact smiling. 'Oh father' I thought,

"Oh father," Macavity replied in his Mungojerrie laughing voice. 'How could you say such a thing?' I thought, "How could you say such a thing?"Macavity went on.

No, no, no. This could not be happening. I was now so full of adrenalin I felt sick. My paws were sweating, my mouth was dry, and my whole body felt like it was on fire. I didn't know what to do with myself so I kept listening.

"I may have heard wrong." Macavity shrugged. NO! My head exploded with insane thoughts again. This time it was 100 times worse. NO! NO! I was so agitated. I could feel myself shaking. Electra next to me turned.

"Jemima, what's going on? You're look petrified." Her hoarse whisper kept me on edge. Rigidly I shook my head. Taking deep breaths I tried to calm down. I felt very sick. My dream had come true.

This wasn't a normal everyday occurrence. This time I heard snarls and hisses and the disgusted look on my families face at the thought of Uncle Macavity staying. This time I saw Electra half smile. This time I heard an echoed thought that wasn't mine.

'_Hallelujah. Finally Jemima! You took your time...'_


	5. Electra

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**ELECTRA **

I woke up in my bed. Looking around I realised it was early in the morning. The silvery moonlight was glistening through some cracks on the floor, lighting up a screwed up piece of paper I had thrown away. I sighed. Of course it would light that up. I rolled out of my bed and snatched it, looking over and over at the conversation I had written on it. I shook my head. What in the world was this supposed to mean? And why the heck had I managed to have a dream that showed what would happen before it had.

"I think you'll find that they're called premonitions, Jemima." I instantly flicked around. Sitting by the wall was Electra. A small light that came from the room showed me she was smiling. A little.

"I'm, I, I mean, I" I stuttered. I had not said that out loud. Electra sighed and nodded.

"I know that Jemima. I can hear your thoughts." I could feel my gaze harden on her.

"What? How? I mean, why the heck?"

"Okay look I know it's confusing but you have to come with me. Away from here. I have so much to tell you." She stood and moved towards the door. I couldn't move. How could she read my mind? I mean, could she hear me thinking this...

"Yes Jemima I can." I looked at her again. Her mouth was in a straight line and she didn't look very happy.

"How??" I re-asked, she sighed again.

"Jemima, you and I are special. And I can't talk about it here because they have people like us too who could be listening but you need to come with me. Now." Her face hardened and she no longer looked in the mood for me to be contradicting her. It was kinda hard not to.

"When are we coming back?" I really didn't want to ask this question but she had brought me to the edge.

"I'm not sure. When it's safe."

"It is safe,"  
"NO." She sighed, getting agitated. "No Jemima it is not." I sucked in my breath and shook my head.

"You're wrong."  
"Jemima you have to trust me. I know you can see into the future." My heart stopped. "I know that you hear conversations inside your head and very soon you will understand just please, Jemima, please come with me." I couldn't do anything but stare at her.

"If you don't let me come back by midday I'm going to be really annoyed." I stood up shaking. Why had she made me do this?

"Because I'm a good persuader." I rolled my eyes. This mind-reading thing will take a bit of getting used to.

"Yes it will Jemima." I rolled my eyes again. "Bring that bit of paper too." She said flatly. I stared at the scribbles I had written a couple of days ago.

"Fine, whatever." I was over this drama. Following her outside I found her trailing the dusted path to the bottom junkyard. "Hey, Electra-"

"Just follow" her voice was normal, poisoning Electra style. Typical. As we darted behind different pieces of trash I realised we were heading out of the junkyard while trying to avoid Alonzo on watch.

"When we get out of the junkyard we will have to make a mad sprint to the big oak tree in the park." She turned around and whispered to me. "If you stop you could get hurt or die."

I ignored the last comment. Yeah right.

'_I'm not kidding Jemima."___

What the heck? I stopped and looked around to see who had spoken.

"It was me Jemima. You could hear me. For two seconds. Shesh this process is gonna take longer than mine." She started darting again.

"Wha-?"

"Don't worry you'll get used to it. Are you ready to run?" She asked. I knew there was no choice. No.

"GO" My legs instantly propelled me forward and the wind rustling around me became freezing on my body. I think the water droplets I collected from the grass turned to ice. When we got to the big oak tree I couldn't breathe and I had to keep chucking up the phlegm and spit blocking my windpipe. I had never run faster in my life.

"Okay." I flipped my head around to watch Electra. "Here's the deal. We have to save our family."

"From what?"

"I don't know."

"From who?"

"I don't know.

"How?"

"I DON'T KNOW." I was trying not to yell but she did not just tell me I had to run or die for 'I don't knows'

"Okay, fine. How did you find this out?" If she didn't tell me this I was leaving.

"Macavity told me." She didn't look happy with that bit of news.

"Oh so you're going to believe him? Are you kidding me he's a nut job, he doesn't care about our family. I mean, come on Electra this'll just be one of his schemes to make us all be in 'mortal peril' and to be terrified for something he set up." I was fuming. I was tired. I was sore. And I just wanted to collapse. I shook my head at her. "You're insane."

"NO, I'm not I swear."

"Are you kidding me? Seriously. Yes you are, I mean you have been your whole life. Always the weird one or the outcast. I mean is this some sick joke that you made up to make me fully accept you? Huh, I can see it know. You've just been stalking me and listening into my conversations. You knew things to say to make me think you could read my mind and you made me have that dream. Yeah I have read about people who just talk to others while they're dreaming in their 'sub-conscious' making them dream what they've told them too. This is all a huge fat joke. That's really low Electra, even Mungojerrie, or Rumpleteazer, or Macavity I mean really. Really. Low." I stopped yelling for a minute. Breathing heavily. Electra had done it. She had snapped my kind twig. No more nice Jemima. You blew it. I started at her torn face, tears leaking out the sides. It was below her to cry. I walked outside to calm down. I had really hurt her feelings. When I went back to her to apologize she was gone. Home I guess. Great. Now I knew I would get caught sneaking around. Thanks Electra. Thanks a great deal.


	6. I Guess I Was Wrong

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**I GUESS I WAS WRONG**

I got caught.

3 days punishment stuck in my room and now I have to be insight of my mother or dad at all times. It's lame. When I tried to talk to Electra I was ordered away. All I wanted to do was apologise for being so rude to her. I didn't really mean it. I think.

I haven't heard anything from my little voices or seen any visions with which I'm very glad. They scared me a lot. I know that I thought Electra stuck them in my head but I couldn't help thinking that she couldn't have. How was she supposed to know what the big meeting was going to be about? I tried not to contemplate that. I hurt my head to much, trying to make up countless excuses.

My Uncle Macavity is still here, staying with us. Mother is not impressed. The weird thing is he isn't letting this 'the Jellicles are in danger' story go. Neither is the tiniest part of my brain, which is really frustrating.

"Jemima?" I looked up to see my mother at the entrance to my room. She was standing tall and superior over me as if she was trying to drill it into my brain that she was in charge. It wasn't like I didn't know that. She had stuck me in here.

"What is it mother?" I sighed. Probably not the smartest thing to do but I was bored of these four walls.

"It is time for dinner," she moved her body so that there was a path I could exit through. I slowly nodded and slipped out of my room. She still punished me with the food I ate, 3 mice. There was nothing amazing on them, just plain.

As I sat down opposite my Uncle Macavity he looked at me for a while then started to eat. He has done this every night since I had gotten caught sneaking into the junkyard. I was really weird and it freaked me out. But I also couldn't help but feel that he was waiting for me to give into my voices. Like that was going to happen. They didn't exist. They couldn't.

"So Jemima how was Old Deuteronomy today?" my mother asked, trying to make conversation.

Today had been the day to stay under the watchful eye of dad. I kind of felt sorry for him because it had restricted what he could do for the family but then again, he had decided too.

"He was fine Mother." I replied in a small voice. I didn't like talking to my parents at the moment, because they were disappointed in me. They always made me feel worse. The rest of dinner was a quiet one. Dad talked to mother and Uncle Macavity and the occasional question was asked for me. I wanted to leave.

"What's that?" my dad suddenly asked. We all looked up and cocked our heads to the side, which made me want to laugh. Well, that was until I heard Rumpleteazer screaming for help. We all immediately ran outside to see what was going on, lots of us were already by her side so I took the chance to go and stand next to Victoria. She gave me a quick grin and then we turned our attention onto my dad who was talking to Rumpleteazer.

"Teazer tell us what happened, where is Mungojerrie?" My dad's voice sounded very strong but I could tell by the look on his face that he was worried.

"He's gone, he's gone. They came and took him and now he's gone." Poor Teazer burst into tears. I did not understand the situation.

"Who took him Teazer? Where have they gone?" My dad was down on the ground next to her trying to pull the information out of her. It wasn't coming.

"I don't know," she attempted to say through her tears. "We were just walking along the street and he kept looking behind us saying he could hear someone and then they came out of nowhere. I didn't know what to do." She trailed off crying again.

All of us were now very worried and were ordered to go inside. I was forgiven for going out of the junkyard and I knew it because all of us teenagers were put in a house with Skimbleshanks and Asparagus on guard.

I found myself sitting next to Electra so I grabbed the opportunity.

"Electra? Electra I'm so sorry about what I said the other day I was... Electra?" Her eyes were closed and she was just ignoring me. "HELLO?" I tapped her on her shoulder and she looked over at me.

"Shh Jemima I'm trying to concentrate." She then closed her eyes and stayed rooted on the spot. She was going on about that visions thing again.

"Jemima I wasn't lying when I told you what was going to happen." Her eyes were opened again and she was staring at me. Great. That mind reader thing again.

"I'm not lying." She replied to my thought.

I rolled my eyes. "Look I still don't believe you but I just want to say..."

"You're sorry? I know you think it every day." She smiled at me, "it's actually gotten a bit annoying."

How did she know that?

"Cause I can hear you silly."

Oh right like I was going to believe it.

"You have to Jemima." I stared at her.

"The faster you do the faster we can sort this out." We both turned around to stare at my Uncle Macavity who had apparently decided to join the conversation.

"Sort what out?" I replied getting frustrated, "I don't understand."

"Electra was confused too, but look at her now. We need to leave so we can help." My Uncle Macavity seemed very adamant about this.

"That's because I am."

"So you can hear my thoughts too?" I asked him

"You will to with a little practise." I stared at him. They had won me over.

"Where will we go? How long will it take for me to hear your thoughts and stuff?" I looked around and realised that no-one else was here anymore.

"Where did they all go?"

"Probably home," Electra replied. "They will start looking for us soon so I guess that's our cue to leave."

I looked around. "But this is my home, I mean our home."

"Yeah, and we'll come back. Once we get Mungojerrie back." Electra cocked her head to the side staring at me.

I sighed. "Okay. Let's go"

Uncle Macavity and Electra both smiled. I couldn't help but smile inside. This time I got to do something cool.

"So what can I do? I mean like my special abilities and stuff?" I was now very curious and dare I say fully aware that Electra wasn't doing anything to me.

"You can see the future. I mean we both can." Electra replied. She seemed very happy. I guessed she loved being different. "And we're all interconnected from some part in our brain so we can hear each other's thoughts. Apparently it's some mutated gene or something, but I didn't bother with the specifics."

That made me smile. Now I knew being different was for her.

"That's really it I think. But it's helpful. I think you can see whatever you like whenever, lucky thing, my visions only come at night." She frowned at that comment.

I shook my head, "I don't think so."

"It's true. You just need practise."

I stared at her and sighed and wondered how long it would take before it became easier.

'_Just concentrate when we tell you too and it will naturally come.' ___I stared at Electra for a second.

'_Are you sure?'_

'_YES!'_ They both started to grin. Apparently this was a funny situation. As we headed out of the junkyard we were very careful not to get caught. It felt strange to leave my family behind. I couldn't help but think that they were so unprotected.

'_They are Jemima.'_ I looked at my Uncle Macavity.

'_I guess I was wrong.'_ They smiled a little.

'_I guess you were.'_ Electra thought.

That made me smile.


	7. The Makley's

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**The Makley's**

When we stopped walking it was almost daybreak. I was tired, and hungry, and very thirsty. Our sort of 'base-camp' was 6 kilometres away from the junkyard. Not really that far but now with the Mungojerrie scare no-one was really going to leave the junkyard.

_Ugh._ I sighed in my head. '_Where are we?'_

'_It's where I've been coming since I found out I was special'_ Electra replied. I looked around. There wasn't really that much to see.

'_If you're thirsty there's that stream over there. I'll just go find something for us to eat'_ My Uncle Macavity started to back away.

"You mean we have to eat like, nature stuff?" I screwed up my nose at the thought.

'_Shh!' _they both thought. Oh right, we weren't allowed to be speaking out loud.

'_You eat 'nature-stuff' as you call it back at the junkyard' _Macavity reminded me.

'_Yeah but this is like...' _I didn't know how to put it. More dirty? If anything the junkyard was dirtier than this green place.

_´I know it's gross to think about at first but you get used to it. Besides you could always wash it in the stream before you eat it.'_ Electra tried to comfort me as I looked over to the stream and back at her.

'_Okay...Well whatever.'_ I was too tired to argue this point right now. Electra pointed to a fluffy yet slightly flat bush for me to lie on. My guess was this wasn't a 5 star hotel.

It was surprisingly comfortable and kind of springy too. While I tried to sleep I thought about my mother and dad. They would be so worried. But what would they think I had done? Been stolen away by Uncle Macavity? Probably. They didn't know him as well as I did.

I was fully refreshed by the time that Uncle Macavity came back with our food, and it was also surprisingly not too bad. After that we got down to 'business'.

'_Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were looting in this area at the time of the attack.'_ Uncle Macavity circled an area on the map he had made in the ground.

'_Is that near any of their lookouts?'_ Electra looked up to ask Uncle Macavity.

'_What?' _ I was instantly confused. _'Whose lookouts? What are you talking about?'_ they looked annoyed at my slowness.

'_The Makley's, Jemima keep up.'_

'_The Makley's? Who're the Makley's?' _They looked at me and Uncle Macavity sighed_._

'_Forgot to tell you about that part huh?'_ I looked at him.

'_Tell me about what?' _Electra's eyes stared sown at the ground. She didn't want to be a part of this conversation. Uncle Macavity looked around a bit then stared back at me.

'_The Makley's are a family. Like the Jellicles although not as caring, or loving or whatever word you want to use.'_ I stared at him, still quite confused.

'_Are they cats?'_ I asked just to be one-hundred percent sure.

'_Yes. Their leader, Old Micah, is Old Deuteronomy's brother.' _ I was surprised by this news. We had never been told that Old Deuteronomy had a brother. I didn't even know that there was a whole other family living so close to us. I thought we would have seen them.

'_They're going to take over the Jellicles' _Electra looked up at me sadly.

"Whatever, they can't. We're a huge family, they wouldn't. If they really were family they wouldn't attack us" I spat out very bitterly. I had started doubting them again. This could not be possible. I refused to believe that it was.

'_In your head, Jemima. They have connections everywhere.'_ Uncle Macavity started urging me to keep quiet.

'_Argh!!!!' _ I screamed at them in my head. _'What are you talking about?'_ I wanted to cry. My poor head felt like it was going to explode. All the pressure of everything I had experienced in the last week was all compacting together. I wished it would stop.

'_Okay, Jemima we didn't want to have to explain everything to you all at once but since you are the most difficult person I think I have ever encountered in my life it's going to be easier than trying to re-convince you every 5 seconds.'_

Both Uncle Macavity and Electra once again looked at me. They were trying to read how I was reacting. I was getting better at blocking them out. That's some brownie points for Jemima.

I stared back at them fiercely.

'_What is this Makley's stuff?' _I asked a little intrigued.

'_Are you ready to hear this? Electra almost ran away when she heard it. And that's big. For Electra.'_ I looked at them deeply.

'_I'm only going to tell you the whole story if you promise not to run away.' _ I nodded. I was dying to know.

'_Okay'_ I took a deep breath. _'Tell Me'_


	8. The Other Message

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**THE OTHER MESSAGE**

I was tossing and turning, trying to sleep but I couldn't. That train had left hours ago. My whole body was floppy and I couldn't decide whether I was hot or cold, if I needed a drink or not. My head tried to sort out what I had taken in just 2 hours ago. It didn't want to contemplate the workload.

I had free range to think now. Uncle Macavity and Electra were asleep.

_The Makley's._ I tried to sort it all out._ A family who has been rivals of the Jellicles since ancient times. But why had we never been told of them? Maybe they thought they were no longer a threat?_ My head was swimming. _What would my family's theory be? Humans? But Teazer had told them it had been cats._

I stood up to do something. My body was so agitated from being so still. I walked up and down the stream underneath the protection of my Jellicle moon. I sat down pulling up the grass with my claws, and then I curled up and started to rock back and forth. I closed my eyes humming to myself.

....

I found myself looking at a group of cats. I didn't recognise them and it didn't appear that they could see me with which I was very grateful.

They all were huddled together facing one huge cat twice the size of me. His dark grey eyes were deeply bloodshot and he had a rigid scar that curved down from his spine to underneath his body. He had black spots all over his tail and riding up to one of his front paws, the rest of him was an amazing golden colour that didn't looked like it belonged to such an untamed cat.

"My dear Makley's," his voice cut harshly into the silence immediately putting me on the edge; I could see it had done so with everyone else.

"It would seem that the Jellicles think that they can overpower us. " He stopped and his audience replied with a cruel laugh. I looked around trying to remember all the faces I saw.

Next to the leader sat two identical cats, I guessed they were twins. They looked very concentrated and didn't look around at the meeting that was taking place. I shook my head and moved on.

In the front row was a female cat. I guessed she was the leader's mate because whenever he talked a huge smirk appeared on her face. She didn't look very ugly all though her tail looked a bit shorter than it should've been. Her fur was short and it had red speckles all through it.

Beside her was another pair. The male was the blackest black I had ever seen. It looked strange when he opened his mouth as his tongue was a very bright pink. The female was very white like Victoria except she had one gold line that started from her left eye and spiralled in between her legs and over her back down to her tail.

"SO," my attention refocused on the leader, "we are going to send them ANOTHER message that they cannot over rule us. A message, a little like this one." He stopped talking and turned around behind him there was a blur of colour mashed together as two of the Makley's hauled out a flash of orange.

It was Mungojerrie.

Anger instantly overwhelmed me as I saw him struggle to get away. I screamed at my body to run and help him but I couldn't move. I couldn't change the future while I was experiencing it.

The watching Makley's instantly applauded and stood up. Mungojerrie forgot about fighting and just hissed at them.

"You leave my family alone." His snarl quietened a few of the cats down making them a little nervous.

My heart was crushed into a thousand tiny pieces. He loved my family as much as I did. I couldn't let this happen.

I wouldn't.

....

I woke up lying on my stomach. The blackbirds were singing little songs above my head, which annoyed me greatly. This was not a happy day. I sat up and made patterns in the dirt as I thought over what I had seen. The Makley's were not a nice family. I couldn't even explain it. They lived to be greedy and selfish. By my books they weren't even a family. They only came together when they wanted to destroy someone else.

'_Jemima,'_ Electra skipped through the trees to greet me. _'What're you doing over here?'_ Her little inquisitive face made me smile.

'_I had another vision last night'_

Her little face lit up, but by reading mine she realised it hadn't been a good vision.

'_Let's go see Macavity. He should be back with breakfast.' _

We walked back to our base-camp quite fast so it didn't really surprise us when Uncle Macavity hadn't arrived back. We drank some water and groomed ourselves but still he hadn't come back.

While I was busying myself I thought about the vision. Every now and the Electra would contribute something but most of all she stayed quiet. She wanted to see the whole thing for herself.

With Uncle Macavity still not back we decided to go looking around the camp where he said he would be. First we looked where he had caught breakfast the day before, then where he had caught breakfast the day before that.

When we were walking back I noticed a flash of orange in between some reeds on the other side of the stream. I grinned and looked at Electra.

'_Annoying isn't he?'_ She smiled and nodded.

It wasn't Uncle Macavity behind the reeds, just a bright orange flower. Looking around Electra and I soon realised that something had happened here. Plants were bent over and there was never ending scratches into the bark of a tree. We could smell Uncle Macavity's scent on everything and someone else's, a stranger.

Walking along a trail that they had left behind it stopped at a tree. At the bottom lay Uncle Macavity.

I looked at Electra, her eyes were wide open.

'_Oh my gosh.'_ We sprinted to the bottom and tried to wake him up. When we felt for his pulse he lay as still as anything.

I kept shaking my heading until my eyes became all wet and blurry. I reached out for Electra and held onto her as hard as I could. Tears streamed down our faces and a distorted wail whispered out of my mouth.

He had been our key. He knew everything. What to do, where to go. Now I felt so lost.

As I just stared at the ground the one voice kept on repeating over and over.

"We are going to send them ANOTHER message."


	9. Her New Gift

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**HER NEW GIFT**

The one thing I didn't understand was why things had kept happening just after I witnessed them. There never seemed to be enough time to change the future before it happened; that was if it needed changing.

'_Here's some more food.'_ Electra shunted her leftovers towards me but I shook my head.

'_You eat them.'_

Right now Electra and I were joined at the hip. We were terrified of going around corners and changed our sleeping spot every night. After we had calmed down from discovering Uncle Macavity's death we hauled him into a ditch and covered him with flowers that smelt amazing as they decomposed.

Since then we had argued about going back to the junkyard. Electra wanted to stay while I wanted to go home.

I looked around. The sun was setting making the sky fade into a dusky orange colour. I was on lookout first, then Electra after.

I couldn't help think I was responsible for Uncle Macavity's death. If I had realised that much sooner he could be with us by the fire.

'_It's not your fault Jemima. Macavity wasn't in your vision.'_ I rolled my eyes at Electra's comment, even though she was right.

'_But what if I could have sav-'_

'_You couldn't have. For the last time Jemima you are not at fault.'_ She rolled over to her other side to ignore me and tried to rest.

I looked down at the ground drawing patterns in the ground.

Then a twig snapped.

My head rocketed up and I jabbed Electra hard in the back. She was instantly awake and I smothered out our fire. We both cocked our heads to the side to listen better. Nothing. I kept my eyes opened so I wouldn't have a vision, but that didn't help.

The weird part about this vision that I was going to have was that I instantly knew I would be experiencing it while staying awake in our camp. And I was going to have it. I could feel it.

....

"They're stronger than we thought were Tridus." One young, male adult yelled out as he ran across the stream.

I instantly recognised it as the stream right behind me.

"Keep coming Rusty," the Makley's leader replied, "we're not going to lose.

**Out of my vision I was still intently watching the surrounding brush.**

In my vision I could see myself sitting in front of a tree not moving as the cat as black as night attacked me.

**My spine flinched as I wanted to run from my vision**

'_**Are you okay Jemima?'**_ **Electra didn't sound too confident in me.**

'_**I'm fine. Electra I'm having a vision right now,'**_

'_**But you're not asleep.'**_

'_**Yes I do realise that. My point is I can see exactly what's going to happen in exactly three and a half minutes.'**_

'_**How do you know its three and a half minutes?'**_

'_**I...' **_** I was blank for a moment. **_**'I just know'**_** I could tell her eyes were rolling**

I was amazed to discover that this black cat could not attack my future self as I sat concentrated watching Electra who was staring right back at my future self.

The female with the gold spiral snarled as she tried to attack me too. Was I laughing? I was soon going to find out...

....

'_Watch out for the two cats that are going to come out from behind the big oak Electra.'_

'_What're you talk-'_

'_Just trust me.'_ I heard her sigh as she grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight.

Right on cue she was greeted with Rusty and the Gold-Spiralled female. For me the Black Cat and Tridus became my new opponents. Electra and I were lucky because we were small, petite and very fast.

We slipped into little gaps that we both saw without thinking and we were always one step ahead, thinking about what their next move would be. Uncle Macavity had taught us that, and I was very glad he had.

In the end Electra and I were pretty much just running around the campsite with the Makley's chasing after us. It wasn't until Electra collapsed in front of the big Oak tree that I knew we had to come up with a different tactic.

'_Go to the opposite tree Jemima.'_ I looked at her with her opponents advancing on her and immediately did what she said.

'_Just concentrate on me and I'll concentrate on you.'_

'_What on earth are you talk-?'_

'_Trust me, Macavity and I discovered this about a month ago.'_

I shook my head trying to contemplate what the heck she was going to do. As I concentrated on her, just like in my vision, the night black cat attacked me. Well, he tried to.

'_What the heck are we doing?'_ I asked as the gold-spiralled cat joined in with the black cat. Electra grinned at me.

'_Cool right? I have a physical shield.' _The grin on her face was priceless and it made me laugh. Electra had too many tricks up her sleeves.

Tridus was getting frustrated. Because of Electra's shield he wasn't getting within five centimetres of touching her. Rusty backed away and my two attackers also changed into a defence position. Tridus spat at the ground in front of Electra.

"Next time we won't be so easy." His tail twitched and all four Makley's ran off towards the east.

We didn't relax our positions until we knew for certain that they had gone.

'_That was AWESOME!!!'_ I grinned at Electra.

'_Just something I picked up, ya'know.'_ I was in awe of her ability.

'_We are just too cool.'_

'_We're mutated freaks.'_ She replied, rolling her eyes. _'Don't get to ahead of yourself.'_

'_But at least we're cool.'_

* * *

Hopefully in this chapter no-one is confused. I wanted to write this up for those who may still be confused. (HOPEFULLY YOU'RE NOT!!!)

Normal Print is present tense and future tense 'commentating'.

_Italics_ are present tense with communication via thoughts.

**Bold **is present tense 'commentating' while Jemima is having a vision.

_**Bold Italics**_ is present tense with communication via thoughts while Jemima is having a vision.

Hopefully none of you who read this is confused but if you are leave me a comment and I'll explain it personally to you.—BR :]


	10. I Think My Heart Is Broken, For Good

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**I Think My Heart Is Broken, For Good.**

'_Alonzo?'_ My face searched Electra's frantically. Would she give something away? This couldn't be all she knew.

'_There one second, gone the next...'_ Her bright, sparkling eyes stared into mine. _'That's just what that Nia cat said.'_

I spun around sorting the news out in my head. Alonzo had been taken, or would be taken very soon. Electra's vision unnerved me to the very tip of my tail. We had to act fast.

I felt my face burning and hot tears shimmer down it as I turned back to her. _'Take me through the vision again,'_ I thought. Clutching my knees I buried my face to my matted, un-groomed fur waiting in anticipation.

She sighed. _'I was in the Makley's conversati-'_

'_Which of the Makley's were talking?'_

Another sigh. _'The leader, Tridus, the black, black cat they called Casteiv, the golden-spiralled one, Nia, a blue-grey coloured cat called Phogra and his tan coloured mate Darla.'_

I nodded my head.

'_Those two, the ones we think are twins, were sitting together in the background.'_

'_Did they say their names?' _I was hungry for every little detail I could swallow up. They would all suffer for hurting my family.

'_Yeah, maybe. The male was called Cori-, Coripat? I can't remember. It was a weird name. The female was Tanto- something. I can't remember hers either.'_

Again, I nodded.

'_Tridus, Casteiv Nia, Phogra and Darla were all discussing what they could do to make the Jellicles fearful. I guess they discovered that the Jellicles weren't tracking the health and safety of Macavity. That they hadn't realised that he is gone._

_They had drawn something in the dirt ground. The vision was fuzzy, I couldn't see very clearly. They talked about how the junkyard was set-up. Those in the Heaviside Layer knows how they knew we had two separate areas in the junkyard._

_Tridus, he drew a diagonal into the plan and then two smaller vertical lines that both met with the diagonal at one specific point. He pointed to Casteiv and Darla then at the two twins behind him. They stood up and left with the twins.'_

'_What did he say that freaked you out Electra?'_ I strained the thought. Her big eyes just stared at me. She rocked a little; I had learnt to read that behaviour as fear and nervousness. I nudged her gently on her shoulder.

'_Nia said that they had to wait until Alonzo was on guard duty down at the bottom.'_

'_How the heck did she even know Alonzo?'_

Electra shrugged. _'I don't know.'_ I could hear a slight high whine in her voice. She was burst at any moment. She sniffed. _'She said she wanted him to pay for what he did, Tridus and Phogra smiled their little evil grin-'_

I nodded knowing exactly what that looked like.

'_- and that was it.'_

She dipped her head a bit then lay down in between the soft grass and some large, protective tree roots.

'_We have to stop it Electra.'_ I flinched a little as a nippy, ice breeze swirled around me. _'But how?'_ I thought about my own question.

...

"Nia, Casteiv!" The harsh, rough voice that could only belong to Tridus once again cut through my silence. Looking up I found myself surrounded by Makley's. I blinked a couple of times. Was there really this many? I tried counting. 16? 20?

Behind me Nia and Casteiv entered. Their obedient faces chilled me right through. To their side they each dragged along –and I mean dragged- the two twins whose names Electra couldn't remember.

I looked around on the far eastern wall I found Mungojerrie chained up. His usual vibrant, dancing orange fur had turned to an oily, worn, brick colour. He was thin. Was he alive? He sighed a small sigh that relived me, but only for a moment.

"My dear Makley's," I groaned as I turned to face Tridus and his ranting speech. "Tomorrow our other message will be made clear to the dear Jellicles. This has been in planning for many weeks now." I stood chilled. That's all they called Alonzo; a stupid message. We didn't need a third. I didn't want a third.

"The first of course, that handsome devil over there, Mungojerrie." I sighed as the cats cruelly laughed.

"The second shall occur directly in their territory; just to scare them a little more." They laughed again.

The second, I thought to myself. What about Uncle Macavity? He was the other message. I had seen it in my vision some weeks ago.

"I, the lovely Nia, her mate Casteiv and Mr. Phogra will all be part of the excursion." He smiled to his family. A family?

Tridus' attention turned to Mungojerrie for just a moment. "Getting a bit lonely there are you?" He crooned.

Mungojerrie ignored him glaring into another wall.

"Nia, Casteiv? Why don't you explain to us all how our little friends Coricopat and Tantomile work?" He flashed a grin to the pair behind me. The black Casteiv nodded in response.

"We know they can sense the presence of objects miles before they intercede with us. They have visions, though very small which can be somewhat...useful?"

His voice rose near the end changing the statement into a question. How much more was he allowed to give away? I glanced around. How much did this naive group of cats really know?

Looking at the twins my heart swallowed a tear. They couldn't be much older than Alonzo and Cassandra back at home. They were scratched, dull, and lifeless. I wondered. Were they forced into this family?

'_**Jemima? Something's out there. Jemima, I can hear it. Please wake up!'**_

I tried to fight to stay in the vision. It was getting too interesting.

"What do we know of our enemies?" One white and black cat to my right asked. Others around him agreed to the question.

"They are weak." Tridus hissed.

"What of those two kittens back at Macavity's campsite?" The cat, was it Rusty(?), called out.

I snarled at the thought of being called kittens.

'_**JEMIMA! Please wake up!'**_** Electra was shaking me, pinching me. I could hear the rustling now. It was close.**

Mungojerrie hissed at the name of Macavity. His face was filled with puzzlement as he searched for clues as to who the two 'kittens' were.

"He had accomplices?" Angry cries shouted out. Some cats started hissing. A group of kittens behind me started betting who was the strongest and could 'take us out'.

'_**JEMIMA!!!!!'**_** Electra was screaming to me in our heads.**

"Never fear about those two." An icy voice spoke out from behind me. My heart momentarily shut down. "I know everything about them. They will be finished off very soon." I started to cry. No, sorry that was an understatement. I started to sob, howl, weep, whatever other word you can think of.

How could this be?

'_**Jemima...? Are you crying?'**_** Electra was hitting me in attempts to wake me up. It hurt too.**

I stared at Mungojerrie. His face was filled with anger and hatred. I heard a smirk.

"Electra and Jemima ring a bell Mungo?" Mungojerrie tried to lash out at the voice.

"YOU WILL LEAVE THEM ALONE!" He was terrified, distraught, mad and his voice was breaking.

I squished my eyes shut to block out the pain that I felt.

'_**JEMIMA!'**_

I had to let go of this nightmare vision. But not before I knew, for sure. I turned around. How many times a day can your heart break before it stays broken for the rest of forever?

This day had officially become the worst.

There he was just standing as calm as could be. He had been my friend, leader, advisor, dare I say it my uncle.

Uncle Macavity.

...


	11. Junkyard Sweet Junkyard

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Junkyard Sweet Junkyard**

"UGH" I twisted my body so I was lying on my stomach, my eyes clenched tightly together. I inhaled a huge breath, tasting everything air that surrounded me. The tastes seemed so familiar. I heard a sigh; a familiar sigh. I dared myself to peek at where I was.

Where was I?

Who was with me?

Where was Electra?

I shunted the questions out of my brain quickly. If I was somewhere bad I didn't want to think about them.

"Jemima! Love, I'm so glad you're awake! Darling! Come! Come! Jemima's awake!"

I opened my eyes a little more and grinned.

"Mother?"

"Shh! Honey don't speak you need to rest. Where is that father of yours, MUNKUSTRAP!!?" Mother turned to face me with a smile beaming all over her face. I couldn't help giving out a little giggle.

"Mother, am I in the junkyard?" My voice asked the question carefully. Was it too good to be true?

"In your very own bed," she replied shifting her head a little as my dad entered through the door behind her. He wore a big smile too.

"Jemima! Jemima! I'm so glad that you're okay! You're awake too, smiling."

I stared at his face. I had to be dreaming. I felt my mum kiss me on my cheek. I turned to face her and gave her a massive bear hug.

"We thought we'd lost you forever," she whispered. Pain washed over her face. "That ruined Uncle of yours." She sat back a little shaking her head. My dad clutched my right paw tightly.

"Is Electra okay?" I lay back a little memorising the patterns on my ceiling.

"She's fine too. Jennyanydots is looking after her well." My mother's reassuring eyes calmed me down. I sighed and felt at ease for a bit.

"Are you hungry?" My dad's soft voice sung out into open air. I was so relaxed.

Nodding my head my mother supported me as I slowly got out of bed. I was so happy I was home!! The comfort! The warm bed! I had missed that.

As I rounded into the next room I found myself buried under a sea of multi-coloured fur.

"Stop it!! You'll squish her; the poor kit has just gotten up!" My mother half screamed at my overjoyed friends. I giggled at them all while trying to frown at my mother for calling me a kitten.

"Where did you go?" Victoria's hurt voice rang out.

"Did you really get kitnapped?" Pouncival's eyes shinned at me with wonder and awe.

"Why the heck did you think you could leave me here without saying goodbye?" Tumblebrutus' joking voice doomed over my head.

"Did you really make friends with Electra?" Etcetera's voice was annoyed yet also impressed.

"Yeah! Dude our sister like never talks! To anyone!" Pouncival had taken up the role of asking questions again.

"OKAY, OKAY!!!!" My dad's voice called out to which I was very glad. "Stop mobbing the poor thing with questions and let her eat her lunch!" My friends all backed away a bit.

"Where's Misto?" I noticed that my entourage was down a guy. Victoria rolled her eyes.

"He's with Aunty Jenny and Electra." My mouth twitched and I forced myself not to grin.

"Why is he th-?"

"EAT!" My mother placed food in front of me.

"Why is he there?" I finished my question and glared a little at my mother for interrupting.

Tumble laughed a little. "He tried to find you guys the day you and that McMavity bloke disappeared."

Pouncival grinned sheepishly.

"What?" I said sharply.

"Well, Alonzo caught him and now Misto isn't allowed out of Aunty Jenny's sight," Victoria finished.

I laughed into my food with Pouncival. "Why doesn't Alonzo keep him in his sight?" I asked jokingly. They all looked at me in confusion and thought.

"I don't know" Etcetera replied. Maybe he's to busy on guard?

I rolled my eyes.

"When has Alonzo ever been 'busy' on guard?" I laughed at my remark but sadly I was the only one.

Victoria and Tumble glanced at each other. My mother and dad looked over at us sensing the sudden tension.

"It's Mungojerrie," my mother spoke out. I sighed remembering my living nightmare. "He's been kitnapped too." Etcetera sighed a big, loud, depressing sigh. I looked down at my now empty plate.

"Oh." I had to play it dumb. It was very annoying.

"Don't worry Jemima. Alonzo, Asparagus, Skimbleshanks and I are all on lookout and are searching for him."

I sniffed and felt a tear roll down my face; I nodded at my dad's remark.

"Is that how you found me?" I snuck a look at my parent's, and my friend's faces. They looked just as torn.

"Yes Jemima, it was."

I sniffed a bit more. Could this awful, awkward silence get any worse?

"Can I go see Electra?" I looked up asking hopefully. I noticed my friends frowning faces and quickly added, "And Misto?" That seemed to calm them down.

One positive nod later I found myself running for Jenny and Skimble's home by the TSE1 Ford. We must have been very loud arriving because before I was in two metres of stepping inside the house Jennyanydots came out with Misto at her heels.

"SHHH!!!!" She cried out to us as my friends and I all crowded near the doorway. "The poor thing is sleeping! Come back later, leave her be!" Jenny tried to shoe us away but of course it didn't work.

"Jenny can I please go out and play? I promise that I won't leave the junkyard! I promise!" Misto's sad whine floated out from behind Jenny.

"Absolutely not!" She snapped back, "Jemima dear! Sweetheart look at you! Aren't you doing well!" Her attention locked onto me. I flashed a small smile at her, this was my one chance to get in and talk to Electra, about tonight...

"Do you think I could go in and see how she's doing?" I smiled as sweet as I could at Jenny, I heard a couple of sighs from behind me so I rolled my eyes. "Just for a few minutes?" I beamed at Jenny pleading with her inside my head. This was literally a matter of life and death; maybe.

I had won her over. She gave me a small smile.

"Fine dear you may go. BUT," Her voice boomed out behind me as I slipped through the doorway. "When I say it is time to leave it is time to leave. JEMIMA?" I flinched at the comment.

Slowly I turned around. "Of course."

I half sprinted into Electra's room; she was lying on her bed with her eyes wide open.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered at me. I danced beside her bed.

"I-" I stopped. I hadn't come up with a plan. We were both under lock and key. No way could we get down to the Lower junkyard to night without being spotted. What would mother and dad say? Would we have to run away again?

"Tell you what," Electra's commanding voice tried to take hold of our dilemma. "What if somehow I got Alonzo to make a physical shield with me?" Her reference to her amazing gift was the best thing that I had also thought of.

"How in the world are we going to get that to happen?" We voice was filled with anxiety and thought.

"Well, I know that I can generate a physical shield over me whenever I want. For it to generate over another cat then they have to be concentrated solely on me while I concentrate on generating them a shield."

I nodded my head surprised at how much of what Electra was talking about I understood.

"So we sneak you out, get you to grab Alonzo's attention without the Makley's realising that we're there or without Alonzo realising that the Makley's are there.?" Our plan sounded quite simple. I almost laughed at how easy it seemed. But it wasn't going to be easy; of course it wasn't.

'_Jemima?'_

'_Mhm'_

Electra's thought sounded a little worried.

'_We only have once chance to get this right.'_

I looked at her. Her stubbornness equally matched mine. I nodded my head.

'_One chance.'_


	12. Today Is A Bad Day

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Today Is A Bad Day**

Electra and I were sprinting away from her house. The sun had set about 20 minutes ago and of course our beautiful Jellicle moon was shining over us. Protecting us, watching us... although I love the moon it was frustrating. I had no idea what time the Makley's planned to attack as it was at night. For all we knew Alonzo could be gone already.

Electra skipped ahead of me a little prancing quickly around un-shielded objects, loitering in the shadows. I stayed curled by a pile of timber watching her every move.

She flicked her head upwards. Alonzo was still there, naively sitting in open air. We glanced quickly at each other.

'_Throw a stone or something!' _I thought. She replied with a curt nod. As she reached around for a small pebble I searched into the future, scanning for hidden clues that might help us.

I noticed in my vision a newspaper freely dancing with the quiet breeze. Looking up quickly I located it some ten metres from where it will be in...40 seconds? I rechecked to see if my timing was right. Yes. 40 seconds.

'_40 seconds'_ I hissed through my head. Electra's subtle throws had not managed to attract Alonzo's failing interest in his guard duty. _'Hurry!"_ I screeched, a little more panicked... 30 seconds...

'_I'm trying!'_ 25...

Electra searched for something a little bigger. The breeze started to pick up... 20 seconds... Out came a spring from a pogo stick. I rolled my eyes. That wasn't helping.

17 seconds...

The newspaper started to rustle in the breeze. That brought some attention to Alonzo. He quickly scanned the area. Damn Electra! She was trying to find another rock!

10 seconds...

The newspaper shifted to the right a little.

'_Oh dear, Lord.'_ We hadn't thought this through properly.

Electra threw out a stick... Yes! Attention! But all in

3...

2...

"1" came a growl from behind me.

I froze. That was a voice I recognised, but not a good one...

The newspaper suddenly violently flew to its place. As Alonzo moved in search of the stick thrower he was tackled.

Was that a muffled scream from Electra?

'_JEMIMA!'_

Oh crap, yeah it was.

I spun around to try and see my attacker but it was too dark. I tried to search ahead to see what was going on. There were much more of them, much more than Electra and I had anticipated. Not four or five. Here I could see we were being taken away by what I tried to count as eight or nine.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this. JE-MI-MA!" each syllable he spat in my ear. I could feel my heart racing. This was great.

I've just been kidnapped by my not-so-cool Uncle Macavity.

This is definitely a bad day.

Sorry it's been so long and that this chapter is short. Hope you liked it. R&R


	13. One Offer

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**One Offer**

I woke up with a painfully, throbbing head. I was too fearful to open my eyes. I took a sniff, inhaling the putrid heart-stopping smell of death, blood, anxiety and pain. My soft ears picked up the sound of a tearful whimper a while away from my right side. I snuck a peak through but it was pitch black darkness.

I tried to shift towards the small cries Electra made but my body was so paralysed from shock. I could hardly breathe, my chest was so tight. I moaned as something ran across my arm, penetrating my bloody gash, cutting it deeper into my misery.

"Jemima?" A throaty gasp escaped a sore body on the other side of me. It hardly sounded like Alonzo.

"Where are we?" A threw back, though of course he couldn't answer my hanging question.

"Don't talk..." Electra's voice broke in her hollowness. She began silently crying. Occasional, large sniffs escaping her. "Or they'll come back."

Electra breathed unevenly. Her breaths were jagged and raw.

I tried to lie back flat to straighten out my curved spine. It hurt to do so. How long had I been lying here unconscious? What day was it?

As I contemplated, trying to block out the pain, light escaped from the happier outside world into our den as a door creaked open.

It was blinding to look at but I was determined not to be thrown off my guard by pieces of hope. A tall figure strode quickly over to me. I stared it down, backing away and growling as it came closer and closer to me. But how could I escape?

"This is the one?" The figure, a female by the sounds of it, tossed hurriedly into the open. She forced me to look up as her paw gripped the base of my neck. I tried to remember how to breathe.

"Yup. Bring it out fast. Don't want to give these other ones any more heart attacks."

The female, lost interest in me fast, her head spun around in horror at the kind thought that had spun out of her accomplice's mouth.

He laughed uneasily at her deathly stare. "Only kidding Darla. Only kidding..." His voice trailed off with unease.

'Darla' turned around again and grabbed me by the wrist. She was too impatient to let me stand up as she dragged me away from my family. I tried to push myself up with my free left hand but I found that too had been stolen from me as the male yanked it away from my side.

I was tired, sore, hungry, thirsty, scared, angry. But they didn't care.

As I was dragged around what must have been the thousandth corner they stopped in front of a huge entrance. Waiting...

I twisted my head a little. This hallway was different to the others I had bothered to observe. It had dusty, bronze fabric that told stories of freedom through flowers and trees. I looked through the arch of my right arm and saw it wove behind me for too long. The doorway was so pretty that your eyes got sore from looking at it for too long. The supportive wooden beams had been carved into majestic arms of strength. How I wished I would not be dragged under them.

A felt a lighter breeze flicker past and heard a quiet noise of approval. With no hesitation Darla and the male dragged me through.

I was hurled onto a nearby wall; I expressed a quick cry of pain as my spine recrumpled into its curved position.

"So." I searched around for the voice that a discovered could only come from one cat in that room; Tridus.

"You're Jemima." He stated this as a fact. He didn't need conformation. He had back-stabbing, rotten, betraying, never-my-uncle-again Macavity for that.

He smiled an evil grin in my direction and laughed. He silently drifted over to where I lay and looked at me.

"I've heard all about you."

"Can't say I can return the compliment." I spat back. Some of the cats in the room hissed at my attitude. Did the really think I was going to go down without a fight?

Tridus silenced the anger with one glance.

"You are only here because I am willing to propose to you one offer and one offer only." His voice was hard, mechanical. He had no mercy.

"I don't want anything you have to offer me." My voice was so deadly quiet half the room had to lean in to capture my words. That made me feel a bit more superior.

"I think you will. Jemima." His volume matched my own as my both glared into each other's eyes. It was nothing to the staring competitions Pouncival had forced me to play at home but yet I was still the first to look away as I saw both Alonzo and Electra tied up on the wall opposite me.

They looked like death. If there is a photographic definition of that word then they would've taken first prize. They leaned on each other and the wall for support. Alonzo's leg was twisted in a way that it shouldn't have been, Electra's pretty red, fiery marks were stained with blood, sweat and dust. Their eyes looked like they had sunken into their skulls. They were white.

"I will let them go. Free of harm."

I laughed to cover up my cry that was finding a home in my throat.

"You've already harmed them more than any cat should ever see in a lifetime."

His laugh was more of a harsh cackle.

"You think this is harm, Jemima?" I told myself not to look at him."My dear this is nothing, compared with what I normally do." I wanted to believe that he was lying to me. I wanted to believe my lie. But I couldn't because deep down I knew he was telling the truth.

"What's the catch?" I dared myself to fall for his tricks. To save my friends, my family...

"You stay."

I shook my head in disgust. I felt the tears in my eyes. I wasn't allowed to cry. I wasn't. Migraines replaced the disrupted, racing thoughts in my mind.

"What do you want from me?" I moaned as tears spilled down my face. I was ashamed for crying infront of these murdering strangers.

"You are interesting." His statement was simple.

I shook my head. "No. I'm not interesting I swear I just want to go home."

Macavity had always told me to keep my true feelings hidden from my enemies. He didn't understand how hard it was. Living a lie was always easier than living the truth.

I sniffed and looked back at Tridus.

"Let Mungojerrie go too." My pitch was weak, but if they got out then he got out too. Tridus shrugged his shoulders.

"Is that a yes?"

"DON'T JEMIMA!" Electra had finally found the energy to scream out something at me. This gave me reassurance I would send her home alive. Well, at least sort of alive.

I smiled at her weakly.

"Let them out now." I commanded. Tridus extended his right paw.

"Yes?"

I looked at my family for the last time and feebly grasped his paw.

"Yes."

**Author's Note:** Sorry this has taken a while, school's been piling up. My updates probably won't be regular until all of my school Internals but I'll try and sneak something in whenever I'm on the computer. Hope you liked this chapter. R&R X


	14. Immaturity Has Bad Results

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Immaturity Has Bad Results**

It was not the fact that they were kind that often scared me. It was the fact that they knew everything about me.

And I don't mean if I'd like milk or sugar, I mean they knew what foot I descended the stairs with first. They knew I blotched up and got a rash on the inside of my front right leg if ever I at pine nuts.

Because they knew half of my replies to questions they would ask they now seldom talk to me.

I was alone in this giant mess.

But the twins were supportive. Enough. They asked me questions though they knew what my answer was. They made no mention of a rash that I'd get.

They were nice. Enough.

I was staring at a tiny hole that I had noticed some three weeks ago. It was small, in the shape of a semi-oval but it brought me no freedom.

I was sitting in a modest sized room. It had small cracks near the rook that brought brilliant sunshine down. There was no furniture. Just the sun.

"You can go in now, Jemima." Nia, the golden spiralled cat skipped into the room. Her face wore a forced, cheesy smile. I didn't like her.

I forced myself up off of the warming stone floor in a movement to follow her lead. I walked with a limp. Many of my injuries I had received on That Night had healed, but this deep gash on my forearm seemed adamant it would not heal. As a reminder of my family; of my pain.

Tridus hardly looked at me as I entered his huge chamber. Though cobwebs decorated the corners where towering walls joined it was extraordinarily beautiful.

There was regal purple fabric that had been lined on the edge of the room. An intricate old fireplace housed Tridus as he worked.

He barely acknowledged my presence as I came closer and closer to him.

"What have you seen Jemima?" His voice was slightly curious, yet still holding its guard. It swallowed a glob of hatred and tried not to look at him.

"Casteiv, and Rusty." My voice came out strong, dominant. I'd been practising.

"What about them?" His voice of boredom masked his uneasiness. I loved knowing what he didn't know. It meant I was indefinitely superior to him. He hated when I knew about his so called family.

"They're going on a trip." I kept my statements short. I liked it when he was asking ME the questions.

"What is it to you Jemima?" He got frustrated easily. The corner of his tight mouth twitched in anticipation.

"Where are they going?" My voice sounded inquisitive, interested, high, annoying.

"If you have nothing to share I can easily make that gash less lonely Jemima." His voice spat out as he stood, towering over me. Adrenalin shot through my body.

"They're going to get attacked." Tridus smirked at my remark.

'_Does he not care for his family?'_

"You are naive to think so Jemima." Macavity, who stood guard to the left of Tridus shot back at my immature thought. I couldn't help forgetting that he too could read my minds, my visions. No doubt he would tell Tridus what I saw before me.

"I saw it." I defended my vision.

"I didn't read anything," Macavity again challenged me.

"Indeed Macavity has not come to me with this news Jemima." Tridus seconded Macavity.

'_Jemima, you are a silly kitten.'_ Macavity threw over.

I growled at him. "I swear I saw it. Macavity is old, decrepit. It's not my problem if he can't read my mind."

Big mistake.

Macavity's paw came all clawed out of nowhere. I felt the swords cut deep into the flesh on my face. The impact made me sprawl onto my back as I screamed out in pain. I lay choking in blood and vomit as my body lurched into shock from the sudden attack. I was dizzy as I felt the blood pour out of my face, tarnishing the pretty, stoned floor. I felt pressure grow deeper and deeper onto my stomach as Tridus' foot made a home on my abdomen. A sharp pain in my chest determined a broken rib.

"You are a silly kitten Jemima." He hissed into my throbbing ear.

As he took back his foot he kicked me and I rolled over onto my right side.

"They will die." I spluttered out my words with saliva and blood. Tridus was immature to believe that nothing was going to happen to him. He wasn't as powerful as he thought he was.

I laughed, and then cried as the pain in my chest and my mouth started making my eyelids fall. My eyes were blurry from tears, so much so that I could hardly see.

I let the light fade out as darkness swooped in to cover me.

I hoped this would be the last time that I would see him, them.

My breathing stuttered.

I closed my eyes and entered a fairyland of nothing.

**Author's Note**:Haha, I managed to write the next chapter...HORRAY! School, unfortunately, is still a pile of work in my room so like I said my updates will be all over the place. You've now all had fair warning! :D R&R X


	15. Nightmares

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Nightmares**

...

"Have you got her?" **My father's beautiful, melodic voice entered into my mind out of no-where. I heard the shuffling of bodies. **

"Is she alive?" **There was a tearful, crying sound coming from behind my dad**.

"I don't know." **My father's voice was quiet and low.**

**I couldn't see or feel anything.** _**'Am I even alive?'**_** I thought to myself. I hated hearing their pain. I didn't know what this was meant to be; a vision? Not like one that had EVER happened to me.**

"She's gone, Munkustrap."

**The sobbing grew. **

"NO," **my mother's voice screamed. I could imagine that those who were there felt this pain too. But I wasn't dead. I couldn't be.**

**Was it really possible for me to see my own death?**

**I had to stop this. **

**But I was so tired. **

**Maybe tomorrow, I can do the saving.**

I sunk into a fairyland of nothing.

...


	16. Starbi

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Starbi**

"Stand up." I was awoken from my nightmare sleep as a harsh hiss spat into my ear. I felt pain as their claw sliced the top curve of my ear slightly. The fresh flesh whimpered with its new contact to air.

I pushed myself off of the ground to look at my attacker; Casteiv.

He ignored my whimper as I pulled myself up off of the ground. I wasn't broken though, not yet.

"Where are we going?" I quietly inquired. I had figured out if I acted inferior, scared, then they would be kinder. Casteiv's ear flickered in response to my question. He walked as though he hadn't heard me. Like he hadn't wanted to hear me...

I took this as a bad sign. Gasping for the putrid, stale air around me I gathered energy to push myself through another hateful day. I stole a glance at my tiny, stone dungeon as I left. It reminded me of my vision. I didn't want to think about that though, I didn't want Macavity to know.

I was led into a room that smelt of faint, dying roses. I spied the source by a large window that had wood replacing the previous pretty glass. Little speckles of light escaped through, only to find themselves trapped in a cruel dark never-ending life. But they were happy enough, dancing around the room to make their own fun.

I found myself stopping in front of a frosted, icy oven. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked around contemplating what torture I would be put through today.

"Brista will help you." Casteiv mumbled. I turned to look at him in response, but he had seemed to have sunken into an inky blackness that had appeared behind me. I was confused only for a moment, until I realised that it was in fact a secret passageway.

A click of a light tongue turned my attention onto a female. She was small to be fully grown, but she was beautiful. Her fur was a grey-blue with one black sock on her back left leg. She didn't smile. I wondered whether this was because she had no permission, or if she really just hated me. I could never be sure now.

"Where does it hurt?" Her voice sliced the darkening silence. I stared at her smooth face. She moved her head a little. "I'm supposed to help you. So tell me where it hurts." She sounded frustrated. I was leaning towards the point of really hating me.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a large rag that had been soaking in a pot of warm water. I jumped back as it touched me.

"STOP!" I yelled quickly. I jumped back, staring her down. She frowned, as my wound started to cry out in pain.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"Yes,"

"Then let me fix it."

"NO," Her face was taken a back at my stubbornness.

"I've been told to help you." She slowly moved forward, cautiously. I was hypnotised by her calming movements. As the warm rag made contact with my leg for the second time her paw was already outstretched, waiting for my flinch.

I sobbed at the pain for the first few seconds, but after that it felt good. She smiled. It was a pretty smile.

"They're planning to hurt your family." She muttered, looking up to see my response. I shook my head.

"I'm here so they won't get hurt,"

"WRONG! Jemima you are here because he conned you into believing that he wouldn't hurt your family but he will." I stared at her pained face. I didn't trust her. "He said that he would let your friends go without harm if you stayed. He never said that he wouldn't go back for them."

I lost my breath in panic. I sucked in big mouthfuls of air. Seeing my panic Brista grabbed the pot of water and dispersed it on top of my head.

I flew backwards as I lay myself down on the cold, wet floor. I shivered.

"How do you know this?" I questioned. I couldn't trust anybody.

"Because they did it to me." I sat up again in horror. It showed on my face. Brista wasn't facing towards me anymore. She had her back against the wall as shared stared at our dancing glimmers of hope. Her tail slowly flicked up, down, in circles. She seemed so distant.

"What do you mean?" I slowly pulled myself to her. She tried to smile, turning her neck so her sweet face pointed towards me.

"They killed my family." She whispered, tears rolling down her face. She sniffed, wiping away the tears yet they were only to be replaced by new ones. "My family, the Winton's, we were attacked several years ago. I was only two cat years when I was taken."

Her voice dropped away. My mouth chattered in the cold room. "Why did they take you?" My question hung in suspense. Brista looked at me.

"Because I'm special too." She smiled at me; her tiny face looked like a waterfall.

"What do you do?" I asked. She held out her paw, I looked at her confused.

"My real name is Starbi." I took her paw in a quick motion.

Why did they change your name?" I hoped they wouldn't do that to me. My name is Jemima, I reminded myself. She shrugged.

"To make me start over, give me a new life. I never resisted, so I never got hurt." She nodded towards the scars that I had received over the last few months.

"What do you do?" I repeated. Her face caved.

"I can control other beings." My eyes widened. "But only a few at a time." She closed her eyes and breathed. I wondered at her.

"Do you control this family?"

"Are you insane? Jemima they want to be here." She shook her head in disgust. "I only control two; those psychics."

"Why? They don't want to be here, I don't want to be her-"

"I know." She sighed. "I'm weak Jemima. I don't want to get hurt." Her voice screamed for help as she spoke. "But you... I mean, Jemima you are so strong. You can get out if you just use your head."

I looked at her. "I can't get ou-"

"YES! HAHA! Jemima you can!" She laughed at me. I decided that she had gone insane. "You read minds, you see the future, you can hear what others feel, you are smart, you think things through, and you are brave. You are a Jellicle." I played with my fingers. "And that makes you better than anyone here. You can't give in."

"What do you mean?" I seemed so innocent. "I can hear how people feel? I can read minds? I can see the future? I can only read the minds of those who are special. I can't choose when to see the future. So what my hearing is better than others? Anyone can learn how to watch others and pick up on what is really going on in their life."

I followed a finger that she had pointed outwards. It ran into inky blackness.

"Jemima I don't want to be afraid, but I am. I don't want to control Coricopat and Tantomile but I must. You are smart enough to think of a plan-of-escape."

I looked around the room. If the sun was coming through then it means that I was on the edge of my prison...

'_If you concentrate on doing the little things right, then everything else will work.'_ I heard her sing-song voice in my head.

"Could I just knock down that wood-window and run?" I asked. She grinned and bowed her head.

"It's worth a shot."

.

.

.

_**I'm sorry this update has been late..I have been on holiday..hope you like the chapter..Thanks X**_


	17. Running

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Running**

I ran and ran and ran and ran. I took everything in; the grass, the sun, the sweet-smelling flowers, the birds, the bees the water that fluidly flowed past me. I was free, and I was happy.

I ran until I reached the doorway of a large familiar building, one that Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie often bragged about looting. The doorman noticed me and smiled. It felt good to be loved again. Running across the city I found our junkyard. I ran inside screaming for my mother, my dad and my friends.

We were happy, which in the past few months had been rare. I didn't notice then, but I should have known that something wasn't right; that something was about to be taken away from me.

Again.


	18. Difficult Freedom

**Difficult Freedom**

I took a moment to breathe, to relax. Ever since I had come back I had been shuffled off to some place that was here, there, and near that tree as well. My parents still grinned whenever they saw me; which was nice, I guess. Getting used to freedom was difficult, and very over-whelming.

"Hey!" I turned my head in response to a delighted voice. Victoria skipped to my side and sat down next to me. I smiled in greeting.

"Hi," my voice was quiet, wary, and I felt terrible for this; she was my best friend, why was it that I no longer felt safe enough to trust her? With her arms outstretched she curled around me in a hug. I tried my best to five some compassion back, I shivered.

"It's a nice day." She noted, letting me go and looking around. I nodded silently. Her head turned back to me as she watched for any sign of trust. She smiled a small smile. "I'm glad your back." She said quietly. I wanted to scream how much I had missed her, and how I would have done anything to be home yet I kept quiet. I wasn't in the mood for talking.

I watched as her claw drew pretty markings in the dust. Swirls entangled each other, twisting and dancing.

"What did you think had happened?" I asked her quietly. She froze quickly, her head looked up, searching for adults then she looked back at me.

"Thought you were dead," she whispered. Somewhere deep down that struck me deep. My face twisted into pain as I wondered how my innocent friend could be so hurt. "I never thought I'd see you again." She turned her face to look out at the distant horizon. I pulled mine down. I wasn't willing to see the inevitable storm that would be coming for me and for the blood of my family.

It took me a moment to realise that the screeching, ripping sound that I heard was coming from deep down inside of me. I felt Victoria's arms form a shield around me as she too began to cry. I cursed myself for dooming my loved ones to the Makley's cold paws.

"What were they like?" I whispered. I felt her grip loosen as she moved her position to stare at my face. "When they came back?" I lifted my head and nodded in the direction of home.

"We thought they were going to die." She muttered back. "Mungojerrie was very sick. He had infections everywhere and Electra..." She trailed off. I waited for her to speak again. After a moment I realised she wouldn't. I poked her.

"What happened to her?" I asked, voice rising. I hadn't seen my partner since I had come back. I was worried.

"She's not waking up." Then Victoria started to cry. My eyes widened as I sat speechless. I turned my head towards home, searching for her desperate voice that would be crying out in her mind, but it wasn't there. I stood and lightly touched the tip Victoria's right ear.

"I'm going to go see her." I told her as she looked up at me. She stood and faced me.

"I'll come too." We ran up towards home quickly. As I passed many heads turned and shouted out welcoming to me. I ignored them all. We slowed down as we turned a corner that hid the entrance to Electra's house. Victoria and I slipped inside quietly, we were both unsure as to if we were allowed to see her.

She slept as we entered her room. The first thing I noticed was that she had a large scar that sat straight down her back. It was healed, but I still wondered how long it took to cure. I searched for her voice again, but it wasn't there.

Victoria sat down on Electra's right side. I wondered if she had seen her since Electra had gotten back. I slowly walked to the left side. I noted the dusty room had many strange markings on the wall. I observed them for a small second before returning my attention back to Electra.

I ran my claws through her fur. It still didn't look like it had improved in colour since I had last seen her at the Makley's. My ears perked up as I heard a small conversation begin in the room a couple of boxes away. Victoria gave me a strange look, I stared at her back.

"Can't you hear that?" I asked, confused. She shook her head; her face mirrored my confusion.

"There's no-one talking Jem." I stood and walked to the entrance.

'_Three months, what am I going to do? Three months, three months...' _ The voice continually repeated itself. It wasn't Electra's. I turned to Victoria motioning her to hide. I slipped out and ran down a small gap to the voice. I peered inside the room which was occupied by a much stressed Jennyanydots.

She wasn't talking but I could still hear her. _'Three months, three months, three months..."_

Three months for what? I marvelled at my new skill to hear her quietly to myself. I remembered Starbi; 'you hear what others feel.'

I wondered why Jenny felt stressed about three months. Was that how long the expected Electra to be in the sleep for? Was that the time they gave to Electra before she would die?

I ran back to Electra's room. Victoria looked up at me when I came in. She was worried.

'_I didn't do it, didn't do anything. Don't blame me, don't blame me.'_ I frowned at her until I heard a little voice that spoke next to her.

"Three months, three months, three months, three months, three months, three months, three months..." Jemima whispered quickly, over and over again to herself.

"Why is she saying that?" I hissed to Victoria. She shrugged quickly.

"I didn't do anything!" She defended herself. I looked back at Electra.

"Three months, three months, three months, three months, three months, three months, three months..."


	19. Puzzles

**Puzzles**

Tail flicking side to side I drew messy patterns on my dirt floor. I tried to piece together everything I knew, yet still the puzzle wasn't complete. It didn't work, and this frustrated me.

I concentrated on Electra's future, something I had been doing for the past couple of hours. I needed her to wake up but I saw no sign of it. I looked into mine, it seemed just as bleak.

_Three months_ I trace this into the dirt just below my nose. Turning onto my back I stared at cracked ceilings, wondering what Electra meant. I needed her. Sighing, I felt the tiny dirt particles quietly lift off the floor towards my nose. I breathed out, and they lay back on the floor. I was glad that I could control at least one thing.

'_Must sleep,'_ I heard mother enter in the next room, extremely tired. For a moment I was tempted to go in and see her, yet I reminded myself a tired mother is a grumpy mother. I could feel my will power growing weaker. I wondered if I could tell her anything; everything. She was my mother, and I wanted her.

I looked up in response to a knock on my door. In its entrance I found my dad, I smiled at him. "What're you doing?" He asked kindly, pointing to my drawings on the floor. I looked at them once one and shrugged.

"Nothing." I moved my paw over them erasing all trace. He came in and sat down on the floor next to him. There was a pause, I began to wonder why he came into my room.

"Darling, you need to tell me what happened." He sounded too calm to be uninterested. I knew that this was the question he had been dying to ask since I had gotten home. I began to draw spirals on the floor again, avoiding the question. He flicked my ear and I shuddered. All of the adults had seen the damage that had been done to my body. I was twice as worse than Electra, Alonzo and Mungo.

As I shook my head I concentrated harder and harder on my drawings, ignoring my dad's pleading face.

"Jemima?" I sighed as he quietly called me back to our elusive conversation. I looked at him slowly, I regret to say painfully. "What happened?" His whisper sounded ten times louder than it was. Everything around us seemed so still, which was creepy. _'Please'_ He was desperate. Tears rolled down my face, I instantly looked away in shame. I felt his paw rub my back as he pulled me into a hug. He stayed quiet as he rocked me back and forth.

Ripping noises again began to erupted from my chest. I was in despair. Why, why did it have to be me?

"Daddy?" My voice was timid, exhausted from my tears. He pulled me back a little bit to see my face. A lone tear rolled down. "Do you know about the Makley's?" His face turned white when he heard the name, this made me more scared.

"How do you know, Jemima?" His voice too sounded weak; though this time I could hear he was in fear. I curled back into a ball again and slowly took deep breaths.

"They took me away." I whispered. I felt his arms grow tighter around me as he wondered what to say. We sat like that for a while, in fear, depression, anger and confusion. Mother came in and sat next to dad. She too placed her arms over my head and quietly sung a lullaby that I had not heard for many years.

"Where do they live now?" Dad shifted a little, sitting more upright. I frowned gently and hummed to myself. I could not remember.

"When will Electra wake up?" I asked. Mother looked up and smiled at me gently.

"Jellylorum thinks maybe in the next few days." I sniffed.

"How long had she been like that?" Mother tried to put on a smile.

"Since Alonzo and Mungojerrie brought her home." I tried to put my brain into gear, how long would she have been like that, a few weeks? It must have been more than that. Mother stood up to fetch dinner. I watched her quietly walk out of the room. Daddy stood up to follow her.

"Come out for dinner in a few." I smiled and nodded back. I had to pretend I was happier than I had just shown. I had to keep my secret a secret.

I searched the future of the Makley's and snarled, disgusted. Their future looked far too happy for my liking. Tridus sat grinning on a throne, and Starbi was there too. I paused for a second, looking deeper into her most present and future futures. It never occurred to me that what she told me could have been a lie.

I sat dumbstruck for a moment. Could it have been? Were they watching me right now? Tears were on the brim again as I thought of adding her to my 'Backstabber's List'. I shook my head. I needed someone to trust. I couldn't shut myself from everyone.

'_Jemima...'_

I sat frozen for a second; until the voice came again.

'_JEMIMA!'_ I jumped to my feet. Listening to hear on my mother's dinner progress I determined that it was still in its prepping stages. I rolled my eyes. So much for a few minutes. I quietly skipped past her, but of course I was too loud.

"Dinner, Jemima." I spun around to face her.

"I know I just forgot to tell Victoria something. I'll be back in like three seconds." I ran before she could say otherwise.

Electra's room was quite dark; bits of fabric had been draped across holes in the cardboard to create a curtain and window effect. She didn't look at me as I came in.

'_I'm glad you're okay!'_ She didn't reply to my thought. I poked her arm and she moved a little. _'Elec-'_

"Shh!" she quickly hissed at me. She began to concentrate again trying to pull up a memory that seemed to have been misplaced. She sighed and looked at me. Her shining bright eyes seemed much healthier compared to when I had last seen her awake.

'_They're going to kill everyone.'_ I sat silent. Not taking it in._ 'They're going to kill our family in three months, Jemima.'_


	20. Upside Down

**Upside Down**

I can't say that I have been speechless often. More times than not I would love to blabber on about nothing to anyone who would listen. Electra swallowed some spit and adjusted her head a little, turning her face up towards me. _'I don't like it either.'_

I sat on the floor, back straight against the wall. My family, my beautiful family. "We have to stop this." My voice was hollow, and raw. I wasn't feeling anything. Electra rolled her eyes.

'_I think that's a give, Jemima.'_ Her eyes gazed around her room as she thought. I wondered why she wouldn't just speak aloud._ 'I can't talk, Jemima.'_ I frowned, confused.

"What do you mean you can't talk?" I leaned in closer to her, thinking this would be more intimidating. She forced out a weak smile.

'_They hurt my voice. I can't speak anymore.' _She paused for a moment, staring at the ceiling as she lay still on her back. _'It's like this fire, burning at my throat. Ripping it to shreds again and again. I can hardly breathe with my mouth; it hurts too much.'_ Her shiny eyes blurred. _'Swallowing hurts, crying hurts...'_ She trailed off as the tears rolled down her face.

As she swallowed to calm herself down I found her screaming in her head. I looked away, hurting to see her in so much pain. For a couple more minutes we sat in silence, until the shrill call of my mother reached my ears. Electra seemed to have quietened down; she looked at me in a sad sort of way.

'_Come and see me soon.' _She forced out another smile

I nodded in agreement. _'We need to fix this.'_

My mother didn't yell at me when I came in for dinner; I think she was still thinking about the recent episode in my bedroom. We ate in silence. I was aware of their constant, concerned glances in my direction; but I was so distant, caught up with all of the happenings that I hardly noticed. I excused myself and sent myself straight to bed.

Sleeping was hard. The tiny sliver of my Jellicle moon that shone through a gap in the wall bounced around. I saw happy Makleys and sad Jellicles. I dared not to look into the futures of my family three months ahead for I knew that I would not like what I would see.

In the morning I slipped out at daybreak. The crisp, cool air woke me up, and I found myself surrounded by dirt as I sat on the edge of a small cliff. I remember when I was younger I thought that jumping off of it was a death sentence. When Pouncival finally took the dare and did it without dying I decided to make him my hero. Foolish child's play; how I wish I could immerse myself in that again.

As the sun slowly rose higher and higher, Victoria found me. She sat still for a moment watching the sun shine golden ribbons onto anything and everything. "Pretty day." She said quietly. I looked around once more, noting that what she said was true. She sighed a small sigh. I scolded myself for being a boring friend. How I wished I was as innocent as her.

"You've been out here for a long time, Jemima." She smiled as she said this. I looked at her slyly, smiling too.

"Of course, you would know that" I told her. "Being asleep and all." I nudged her side playfully and her grin got bigger, until it stopped and she looked sad again.

"I couldn't sleep last night." She played with a stray weed in the dirt. I looked away. "I kept thinking, what would I do if-" she stopped suddenly as she beckoned the weed out of its hole.

"What would you do if what?" I asked, intrigued. She shook her head, not looking at me.

"It's stupid."

"No! Victoria please tell me!" I turned my whole body to face her, grabbing her paws and squeezing them tight. I looked at her with big, pleading eyes. "Please?"

She took back her hands and curled up in a ball. "You will tell me I'm silly."

I rolled my eyes. "You're my best friend! I would never do that." She still didn't seem convinced so I pulled my tail out from behind my back. "I swear," holding my tail up to her nose. She looked at it doubtfully for a few seconds then drew her tail out from behind her back too.

"You have to swear to secrecy Jemima Jellicle." I nodded, looking serious. She sighed while letting out a small smile and let her tail curve around mine. "Okay, I wondered what I would do if something bad would happen to our family." She paused for a second, watching for a reaction. "I know it's stupid and nothing's going to happen, okay? Don't tell me I'm paranoid because I know that already."

She drew her tail away I frowned. "Victoria, what made you think this?" I could feel my body freezing up in the heat of the sun. She looked away.

"I dunno, Jemima. I just have this real weird feeling that something is about to go massively wrong." She looked away, and I did too.

"A feeling like what?" I pressed on though I could tell that she no longer wanted to talk about it. She looked at me and shrugged.

"I dunno, like, the feeling we get when there's going to be an earthquake or something like that. My stomach just feels like it's upside down."

I looked away, wishing that I could tell her that everything was perfectly fine, and that nothing would happen. But how could I say that? When everything I have ever known was about to turn upside down?


	21. Thoughts

**Thoughts**

Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed; and now I was scared. Electra was permitted to walk again, but she hardly did. She sat in her room and cried; frustrated that no-one could hear her but me.

Victoria had forgotten about her fears, my whole family continued life; normally.

My nightmare visions had been becoming more frequent, more uncontrollable. Many nights a week my parents found themselves shaking a screaming kitten awake, giving her freedom from horrible games that played continuously throughout her head.

Every day I wondered if today was the day my family would die; I wondered if today was the day I would die.

Electra and I often sat in silence, alone.

'_Jem.'_ Electra sounded sad, as always. I didn't look at her because I didn't want to. _'Jem, I had a vision last night.'_ I waited for her to continue, wondering whether it would be good or bad news. _'They came for us. They came and they left and we were gone,'_

She let her vision weigh in my usually playful hands. _'What did we do?'_ I asked quietly.

'_We let them come.'_ Her whispered thought echoed in my head. For a moment I sat confused on the floor. I had talents, I could do things to save my family and I had just sat there?

'_Did we die?'_ This time I now referred to my Jellicle family. Not just Electra and I. She understood and nodded quietly to herself.

'_There's something else.'_ She was barely audible. I didn't realise her news could get much worse than what it already had. I waited for her to finish her weighing sentence. _'They're coming tonight'_

I discovered as I found myself being poked awake that I had fainted on Electra's floor. _'We have no time for panic, Jemima!'_ Electra told me. I wondered how it was that she could not be panicked. I wasn't ready to die. Electra shook me, staring at me hard. _'If we panic, we die. Remember? Macavity always sai-'_

'_You seriously care what Macavity SAID?'_ I yelled at her. She seemed a bit surprise as she sat up straighter.

'_He gave us good direction; he was smart'_

'_And then he turned around and stabbed us in the back, Electra. We can't do anything that he has taught us. He will have set the Makley's up with defensive skills against what we can do. He doesn't care about us.'_

'_You're wrong, Jemima. He does.'_

'_Why would you take his side?'_ I yelled at her. Our tempers were rising profoundly.

'_Because he was there, in my vision.'_

'_Of course he was, he'll be fighting with the Makley's'_

'_NO, I mean he was fighting with us; on our side.'_ Electra's voice was quiet. I paused for a moment, watching her actions. She sat quietly down on her bed, chest heaving from her frustration. '_What if he is planning to betray the Makley's?'_

I wanted to ignore her thoughts. I wanted to leave and never come back but I stayed. _'What?'_ I thought sarcastically. _'He'd be like a, like a double-double agent, like a triple agent. That doesn't even make sense.'_ But evidently it did to Electra.

'_Jemima, if he comes here; before the rest of them, he's on our side.'_

The way she thought that it was as if it was an unchangeable fact. I had to believe her.

I had too.


	22. My Family

**My Family**

We both stood deadly still. We stared into the inky blackness that surrounded us with fear, but also pride. We were going to stop them from hurting our family.

'_I doubt this, Electra'_ I slid my eyes horizontally so that she came into my view. I felt her getting impatient.

'_Jemima, you are so irritating. You have to trust me.'_ I continued to watch her for a moment until I decided that she was not going to say anymore. I did trust her; it was HIM that I didn't trust. I had lost count of the many times she had said 'my trust in him should be enough for you to trust him', the raw truth was I did trust him; and this is what terrified me.

The cold wind danced around us, poking us with ice-cold chills. It was very uncomfortable, but I didn't dare to move. Brown leaves rustled left and right as the wind passed through them. This little clearing showed no sign of positive life.

Our ears perked up as a louder crack was heard. I immediately tensed and looked towards the source of the noise; I could feel Electra had done the same. He wasn't exactly graceful as he walked into the clearing. He kept his distance. Watching us carefully to make sure we weren't going to do anything. Finally he stopped pacing and took a step closer. Electra let a faint smile play on her lips. He nodded.

"Hello, Electra, Jemima." He voice was soft and angelic. It wasn't normal for him, which made me wary.

'_Hello, Macavity.'_ Electra thought back. His face let out only a little bit of confusion.

'_None of them have followed me; I swear they all think that I'm meeting them here to -'_

'_Kill us...all.'_ I finished for him. _'How pleasant.' _I faked a grin. Electra relaxed and elbowed me in the ribs. Macavity chuckled at my hostile manner.

'_Jemima, I would never enter a fight on the wrong side. I know where my allies lie.'_ He nodded to Electra and I. _'Tridus is a user, once I am no longer useful I'll be thrown out, beaten, killed. Only a few of his family ever live without harm.'_

'_I cannot speak because of what they did to me.'_ We both ended our staring contest to look at Electra. Macavity nodded.

'_I understand. '_We stood in another moment of silence. I am sure I was the only one who found it awkward. _'Okay,' _Macavity began, _'we have roughly half an hour to sort this out. We have to wake them all up and let them know what is coming.'_

'_You mean, we have to tell everyone about us? What we can do?' _ I imagined my parent's faces, their shock, and Victoria's shock. Macavity nodded.

'_They need to know, you didn't think we could kill them all by ourselves did you?'_

'_We have to kill them?' _ No one had told me this.

'_Of course, it's a fight. They have no heart and will show no leniency to us, for the moments we are at war we must do the same.'_

Electra nodded, finding this a reasonable explanation. Macavity began to walk homewards. _'Come on then. Lets so this.'_

I rolled my eyes as I began to follow. He couldn't have made his parting any cheesier.

The room was still, deadly still. My family watched as Old Deuteronomy quietly weighed up the odds in his head. He was worried. "Son, you shall be most severely punished if you have lied." He whispered. Macavity nodded.

"Father, on my life, I swear I have told no lies." He stood up a little and pointed to Electra and I. "These kittens, they are like me." Everyone turned to stare at us. I watched my mother's face. It showed nothing though her mind was spurring out crazy thoughts. Macavity continued, "We know what is coming." Old Deuteronomy looked at us kindly and motioned us forward.

"Dear Jemima," He addressed me first. "Was this where you disappeared too?" I was cold from the constant adrenalin that seeped through my body. I nodded without making a sound. "And you believe they are coming to fight us?" I nodded again, and before I knew I began speaking.

"I saw it, sir..." I trailed off.

"You saw it?" His voice sounded confused. I nodded.

"Because I can see the future." My voice could scarcely be heard but I knew by the instant buzz that appeared in the air that everyone heard me. My dad's eyes did not leave mine, his face was passive but all he thought was _'my daughter, my daughter, my daughter.'_

Old Deuteronomy decided that enough was enough. "Silence." His voice cut through like a silver blade and everyone's attention was back on him.

"If I might sir?" I turned my head slightly to see both Mungojerrie and Alonzo standing to speak. Old Deuteronomy nodded in approval. Alonzo turned to face our family to speak. "Believe them, believe what they do. I have had the nightmare of meeting these Makley's, and I have seen what they can do." His paw clamped onto Mungojerrie's shoulder and I remembered the torture that he endured. "Jemima and Electra are smarter than you give them credit for. They can fight and Macavity has the insight we need to fight them...and win."

I looked to my side and saw Electra smiling which made me smile too. I ran to Alonzo and gave him a hug. I knew he had won over my family, and I knew that in less than twenty minutes our family would be facing freedom or death.

Old Deuteronomy stood, instantly gaining the attention of the Jellicles once more.

"Every Cat who thinks that we should fight this battle, and win," He added, "shall raise their paw now."

Electra and I turned around watching one by one paw after paw rising to the night sky. It came for me to see whether my dad would join our army. He watched me for a moment and smiled a small smile, raising his arm too. I was thankful; soon this incredible nightmare would all be over.


	23. Facing Certain Death

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**Facing Certain Death**

My heart sounded like a bass drum; beating faster and faster and faster. It was so incredibly loud I was sure that it would give my hiding spot away. I sat perched amongst damp, wet bush. I had been sent to stay high up in the trees and be the 'element of surprise'. I didn't dare to move a muscle, though I could feel them starting to cramp. Each second longer added to the intensity of the stiff night air. No one made a sound, which was eerie.

I was not allowed to think, I was not allowed to speak. If I moved it would be when pouncing on a Makley and no sooner.

My head stayed turgid while I swivelled my eyes downwards to look at the sharp drop beneath me. If I strategically fell on top of a cat, in the right place they would probably die. My breathing quickened at the thought; I tried to calm down as much as I could. Sweat soaked my fur, the adrenalin that pumped through my veins pushed me to leap forward into darkness. It took everything to resist.

I quickly checked my vision. Thirty seconds, my family would all be in attacking positions by now. I prayed nothing bad would happen to them. Fifteen seconds. But what if I couldn't do this? My heart was practically leaping out of my chest. What if I died? Ten seconds. I closed my eyes and sucked in one scared, cold breath just in case I didn't get anymore.

As soon as I opened my eyes you could hear the distinct rustle of bush coming from in front of me. They were not exactly subtle, although I do believe that they thought no one knew of their coming. One cat ran delicately from underneath me; and another, and another. They kept coming and coming and coming. I waited diligently and carefully, until I heard an uproar coming from behind me. The cats that run underneath slowed down, some stopped. Showtime.

I leapt of the branch I was sitting on, on top of a very surprised male. I watched as the future as I blocked his foreseen uppercuts, kicks and attempted trampling. One thing that all cats avoid for their best possible protection is trampling. It was lethal with just one wrong step.

Soon he was out cold, I screamed for Macavity through my mind to finish him off. How could I ever do it? Macavity burst through the trees to my right only a few seconds later.

"GO!" He growled at me. I spun around and ran a few metres before I entered another clearing. There Rumple was trying to fend off two females. I ran up behind one and pulled her to the ground. She seemed surprised for a moment before kicking extremely hard in the thigh. I went with the flow, falling to the dirt floor. I tried to ignore the pain that quickly ran through my left leg. I could feel the bruise forming already. As soon as I stood the female ran at me a quickly moved to the right grabbing one of her flailing arms and spun her so that she sat in front of me, my arm wrapped around her neck. Rumple, who was finished with her opponent, looked at me.

"You okay?" She mouthed. I nodded back; she turned and ran in between some small bushes behind her. The female I had quickly took advantage of our exchange, elbowing me in the ribs. I quickly toppled backwards again; I now found it very difficult to breathe. She turned around to stare at me. Looking at my face she laughed.

"You stupid Jellicles! When will you learn to give up?" She jeered. She slunk over to stand by my head. Her foot came down on to my face; hard. I tasted blood in my mouth, and why was my nose so sore? I felt dizzy. I kept trying to keep my eyes open but they didn't want to work. I felt my arm being held up, and soon I was being dragged along the ground. I couldn't concentrate properly. Where was I going?

"What's going o-"

"SHUT UP!" The female's harsh voice snapped.

"Bu-" My voice drifted off, I started to drift off. NO stay Jemima, stay. Being dead never helped anyone. But I was so tired. Sooo tired. How could I have let myself be caught so easily?

"Macey," A loud masculine voice rumbled out.

"Casteiv, where is everyone?" She didn't sound worried. Yet. I still left my eyes shut, fighting to stay awake.

"They're gone."

"Who?" Macey demanded.

"Everyone." Came the reply. "You're the first Makley that I've come across in the last hour...Alive."

One hour? But it had gone so fast...

Macey's grip tightened around my wrist. "WHAT?" she screamed. I felt my small body hit something; hard. Macey sounded angry.

"What should I do about her?" Casteiv, I guessed, was talking about me.

"Kill her."


	24. My Time To Shine

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**My Time To Shine**

I was holding on by a thread. My breathing was off course and ragged. There was a pain in my chest which never seized no matter what I tried. Tears streamed down my face every time I tried moving. I didn't think about my family, because it made it worse. I tried to see ahead to find out if anyone would ever find me here. It all seemed too bleak.

It was almost morning of the next day. I could see vivid orange colours dancing off of the green leaves that seemed to engulf my body, promising me that I would never be found. I tried to scream for Electra and Macavity again, but I did so now with no hope.

Every second longer made me dizzier and more tired.

I closed my eyes for a second longer before I felt my conscious drift off into a land of darkness. Immediately I snapped them open again. I wasn't going to die. I had promised my mother that I knew what I was doing when I left to fight last night. Like I knew what I was doing, I'm a kitten whose ego got the better of her.

The sun slowly climbed its way into the sky. By what looked like around midday I could feel the heat radiating off of my body, I wasn't sure if all of my wounds were dry yet. I moved a paw to my chest and felt it to still be wet. I stifled a cry of terror. How was I going to get out of this one?

The sun was so comfortable, and warm. Over the day I kept drifting in and out of unwanted sleep; every time, my sleep became longer and longer.

It was dark and faint rain drifted down when I finally heard positive life forms. Leaves rustled constantly. Try as I might though, I wasn't waking myself up. I began crying in my head, wondering if anyone could hear me.

"I found her!" Yelled out a voice from above, it was a man's voice that I didn't recognise. Well, at least I'm pretty sure I didn't know him...

The bush around me rustled more profoundly now. I felt his rough paw caress my face a little. "You're a hard kitten to find Miss Jemima." He whispered softly as he began cleaning some of my wounds. "Thank goodness we've found you though. Now, squeeze my paw if you can hear me, sweetheart." I felt his paw wriggle its way into my half open paw. It hurt to squeeze, I could only contract a little.

He seemed unsure whether that was my response or not. "Okay, do it once more for me Jem, I'm sorry if it hurts." I squeezed again, all of my effort focused on our paws.

"You got her!" another voice finally came through, I knew he was Skimble. "Is she..?" He trailed off slightly.

"She's alive," the first cat said. I could feel Skimble's relief.

"Oh, thank goodness."

"I'm not sure what I can do for her here. She's got some pretty horrific injuries. I think it'll be best to get her home where more can help." The cat said, I could tell he was worried. I tried not to think about what had happened; the faster your heart beats, the higher your blood pressure. I needed to stay calm, but that was hard.

I felt Skimble's paws twist around as they shifted around to get underneath my body. "Okay," came his voice, "we'll lift her up in three, two, and one."

Explaining the type of pain that came next is impossible. It was excruciating, like a thousand knives being inserted into your body, repeatedly, forever. Maybe that could explain a small percentage of the pain. The lifted me onto two other cats that were waiting outside of my little deadly hideout.

"Walk efficiently everyone, but not too fast." The first cat's voice rang out again. I thanked him silently. Being carried with multiple traumatic injuries was quite difficult to deal with.

Even on my way home I slipped in and out of consciousness. Every so often Skimble would shake me awake again. I wasn't allowed to fall asleep, but it was so hard. The walk home felt like forever, by the time I heard familiarity within people's voices that surrounded me I was barely awake.

"Have you got her?" My father's beautiful, melodic voice came entered into my mind out of no-where. Instant fear shook me as bodies shuffled around. I had lived this before, I had LIVED this before.

"Is she alive?" I heard a tearful, crying sound coming from behind my dad. Yes. I thought. I'm alive a must stay alive.

"I don't know." My father's voice was quiet and low.

I felt myself slip away slowly. Is it scary that I knew? I tried to fight it, but I was exhausted. Fear gripped me as I lost feeling in every part of me. I hurt everywhere.

'_I love you.' _There was Macavity's voice, sweet, peaceful, sad, scared.

My eyelids weighted over my eyes like lead.

'_I love you,' _I told him, _'I forgive you.'_


	25. Sunrise

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Cats (although it would be a privilege too). All rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

**A/N: This is in Electra's point of view. :D**

**Sunrise**

I woke up before the sun did. At first I stayed curled up under my moth eaten blanket which I have loved since I was very small. As soon as I realised I had woken tears began dripping down my face, and before I knew it I was screaming into my fluffy pillow. When would the days begin to get better again?

I had forgotten what it was like to be truly happy. To be truly happy... Ha, that was a fairytale that I dreamed of waking up too.

I was there when Jemima died. I knew it was coming, even though I can't see the future. This time they had hurt her too much, and she couldn't recover properly.

It was scary. When they first brought her home she was covered in blood. I never thought that we had that much blood in our bodies. It spiked her fur on her chest as it dried in huge clots; I don't think there was one part of her body that wasn't covered in blood, except maybe her eyes; scared but understanding eyes.

I wondered how much blood they had left inside her body.

Her eyes flickered open and shut. Searching, maybe. Her breaths were ragged and short, with long gaps in between. Eventually she didn't wake up. The cat that had found her, Henry, a cat with an ACTUAL home, pronounced her death. I've never liked domestic cats. Many think that they are better than junkyard cats, but he heard our fight and came to help us. Somehow he too had heard of the Makley's, they had killed his partner's distant cousin or something like that.

As soon as I realised she was gone I fell to the ground crying and crying and crying. I could hear my family around me weeping, heartbroken. She was our only loss to the fight.

Demeter was a little in front of me. I normally saw her as the brave queen in our family. She was always so strong; but she cried too, understandably of course. Her daughter, dead.

I don't remember much after that. I was so exhausted and upset. Dad told me that afternoon when I had woken from my sleep that I had just collapsed on the ground as a 'tired, distraught ball of fiery fluff.' He then laughed so I joined in too. I think he was just trying to make me feel better.

It was quiet throughout the junkyard. It always was nowadays. Few of my family were up at this early hour. I smiled to some and they smiled back; we were all trying to make each other feel better now. I walked slowly to the edge of the top junkyard to stare at the glowing golden tips of the sun that had just begun streaming over the horizon towards me.

I was about to leave before I saw a tiny figure sitting on a pile of old, useless rubber tyres. It was small so I guessed it was a kitten. I made my way down to the lower junkyard. Plato was out watch for a while with one of the new twins.

Those twins, they were so weird but so happy to become a part of our family. I would have to get used to them.

I pounced on who liked like Victoria on top of the pile. She shifted slightly under my weight. I could feel her smiling.

"I could hear you." She informed me sweetly. "You are very, very not good at being quiet." She looked at me properly and giggled. I still couldn't talk. Obviously, it was permanent damage, I was grateful that it hardly hurt these days. So instead I let a big grin engulf my face.

Victoria turned back to the slowly rising sun. She watched it for a while, as did I. "It's very peaceful here." She finally said, I could tell that she was thinking about Jemima. I smiled at her and traced N-O-W in the air in front of us. She nodded. "Yes, now."

A few minutes later we heard Tumblebrutus and Pouncival making their way towards us. They were trying to be stealthy creatures, which didn't really work as Pouncival quietly hummed the mission impossible theme song and Tumblebrutus loudly whispering to himself things such as: "They're looking... DUCK!" or how about, "We are slowly closing in on targets."

I laughed in my head. They were idiots. After ten minutes of failed, very flawed spying they scrambled to the top of Tyre Mountain with us. They both looked very pleased with themselves. Victoria turned to them both laughing.

"You guys are very obvious in your spy game." She accused enthusiastically.

Pouncival and Tumblebrutus pretended to be confused. "What spy game?" retorted Tumblebrutus.

Victoria was taken aback just slightly. "You can pretend like nothing happened but me and Electra heard your well planned entrance." She looked at me and I nodded frantically.

Pouncival shook his head. "Don't know what you're talking about there." He said.

Victoria rolled her eyes laughing. "Okay spy-man, whatever."

Pouncival looked chuffed as he turned to Tumblebrutus. "All right dude, I have a nickname!" and they hi-fived. I grinned again to let them know I thought they were both mad.

So for this moment the world seemed calm again; four friends, bathing in sunny goodness, having a good time while their gem, Jemima grinned up in the Heaviside Layer. Life seemed to be slowly getting better.

Slowly.

.:THE END:.

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**Okay first of all thank-you to Raptoregg64. You are so incredibly amazing! Your reviews kept me smiling long after I had read them. Thank-you for reviewing on almost every chapter I wrote and for also for keeping this story on alert and favouriting! I love you!**

**Thank-you also to LavKitty for reviewing and alerting. Thank-you to Surise for reviewing and favouriting. Thank-you to Misto4Ever for reviewing and alerting. Thank-you to AllaSchersterferan for reviewing and alerting. Thank-you to London Doghouse for reviewing and alerting. Thank-you to Kristin-Kai-Lundy for alerting and favouriting.**

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**Thank-you to everyone who as read even a tiny bit and liked it. Thank-you to those who have stuck with me on this very long journey. We have made it (although I'm not sure how to feel after it all) ;P I hope this story has been full of twists and little puzzles that confused you until the end. (I like things that do that. Hehe)**

**Keeping smiling and keep busting out those dance moves and singing with all your heart when you hear a Cats songs playing anywhere!**

**:D lots and lots and lots of love.**

**X**


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